Story of an Enigma
by Jess Rae
Summary: Nick's niece Norah comes to Vegas for a second chance at her acting career, with secrets being unearthed and crushes being revealed can Nick and Norah's relationship hold strong?
1. The Enigma Formally Known as Norah

TITLE: Story of an Enigma  
  
AUTHOR: Jess (Penname: Jessica-Rae Szmanda)  
  
GENRE: CSI  
  
SUMMARY: Nick's niece Norah comes to Vegas for a second chance at her acting career, with secrets being unearthed and crushed being revealed can Nick and Norah's relationship hold strong?  
  
MAIN CHARACTERS: Nick Stokes, Norah Stokes, Greg Sanders, Lydia Bennett, Warrick Brown  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, I don't have much time to write anymore (BLAME IT ON ERIC'S HAIR! HAHA KAYLA!) because of freakin' midterms but I've been trying. Please review. Muchas gracias to my bestest bud Kayla for being one of the very few people who actually accepts my love for CSI, and is also a fan. HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL CALI?! ;) Be sure to read Kayla's story, The Truth behind the Paperdoll, which is about Lydia, and is a sibling story to Story of an Enigma (STORY ID: 1351071)  
  
Chapter One:  
The Enigma Formally Known as Norah  
  
Nick and Sara walked over the pliable, polyethylene-looking, green astro- turf. "There's our guy," Sara replied looking at the lifeless corpse on the parched soil by home plate.  
  
"Looks like a home run," Nick quipped. He picked up the baseball mitt, worn and dusty, lying by the body and placed it in an oversized brown envelope. He walked over to a puzzling wet spot on the arid baseball diamond about five feet away from the body. "What the heck?" Sara looked up and walked over to him. She crouched next to him.  
  
"Get a sample," she said while standing back up. She looked across the field. "David's coming to pick the body up the body, check if he has a wallet for an I.D." Nick nodded and reached into the corpse's back pocket of his denim jeans.  
  
"Paul Garland. Blue eyes. Blonde hair?" He looked at "Paul" in confusion. "He doesn't have blonde hair," Nick noted.  
  
Sara shrugged. "Maybe he dyed his hair," she suggested. "I'll make a note of checking his original hair color when we get back to the lab," she announced while plucking a hair from the victim's head with a pair of tweezers. She dropped the dark brown string of hair into a little envelope.  
  
David finally approached the two CSIs after the long walk from the parking lot of the baseball park.  
  
"Hey David," Sara smiled, shielding her eyes to get a closer look at him, almost blinded by the Nevada sun. She always hated sports for that reason- no trees-not admitting she actually touched anything but a beaker in school, let alone a baseball.  
  
Nick, on the other hand, was quite the jock in school. He especially liked football, but to keep occupied on the off-season he swung a couple of bats, and tennis rackets, but don't think he will confess that to just anyone.  
  
"Sara, Nick," David nodded. "Is he ready?" They nodded in unison at David as he took the corpse's temperature to let the anxious duo know the approximate time of death. The way Sara looked both irritated at the sun in her eyes and impatient because of the heat, made him work faster. That may have been the result of the fact that everyone and their teddy bear had a crush on Sara-David included.  
  
While David was occupied with checking out a certain female CSI and other various things, most involving dead bodies, Nick saw something in the dirt of the diamond. "Hey Sara, check this out," he said, his eyes set on the colossal shoeprints.  
  
"Whoa," Sara choked out. The prints were about 3 times the size of Sara's size 7-and-a-half foot. "Those are the biggest feet I've ever seen," she continued, "And you know what they say about big feet, right?" She smirked as both men looked down at their feet, "They get caught faster."  
  
Nick acted natural, "Oh yeah, Grissom says that all the time." Sara laughed and David shook his head and smiled.  
  
"Well, that's good because unless Bigfoot tripped over Paul and accidentally," David started, putting invisible quotes on the word 'accidentally,' "Stepped on him they got involved in a pretty rough fight. Feet included." He lifted up the dulled and discolored printed T-shirt to reveal a dusty shoe print, apparently Bigfoot's, taking up most of the body's chest cavity, which seemed sunken in. "I'm thinking broken ribs and punctured lungs but I'll let you know more when I get him back and find out for sure."  
  
"Thanks, David," Nick said. "Sara, I'm going to go back to the lab and process this evidence, can you make a cast of the print and meet me at the lab?" Sara nodded and reached for her field kit, still staring at the shoe print, but now sitting on the grass of the field. Her demin jeans being the only thing protecting her from the prickly, artificial grass. Nick laughed and headed out toward the parking lot.  
  
-------  
  
Greg paced the break room with Nick's ringing cell phone, which flashed 'NORAH' more furiously than the first sixty-three times.  
  
Greg fought with himself. 'Answer it, maybe Norah will fall in love with your voice and ditch Nick, I mean you're cuter and funnier and more spontaneous and....' Greg's other side interrupted, 'Yeah right, girls don't like brains, they like muscles.' Greg lifted his arm and squeezed his almost non-existent biscept. It fell back to his side with a slap and he sighed. 'It might be important.' 'Nick'll kill you.' 'Why did the dummy leave it here in the first place?' Greg's internal combat came to an abrupt end when the phone ceased to ring its overly cheerful jingle.  
  
Greg pouted at his Inner-Selves for their conflicts. He had an idea: call her back. He beamed at the notion and patted himself on the back for being so clever.  
  
He reclined upside down on the couch in the room. His feet in the air, his head not quite touching the ground. He held the phone in front of him and swallowed his fear for his Inner-Selves to gnaw on. Maybe they would be too occupied to fight. His mind was clear, even though the blood was rushing to his head, as he searched for the enigma known as 'Norah.'  
  
"Hello? Nick is that you?" The female voice said as Greg again gulped and tried to choke out something, anything. "Nick! Answer me, it's not funny!"  
  
Greg cleared his throat. "Hi," was all he could stifle out of his tight throat.  
  
"Nicky?"  
  
"Actually," Greg said, "this is his very cute co-worker-Greg Sanders." Greg became less tense.  
  
"Why are you on his cell phone?" She asked with suspiciousness and cautiousness.  
  
"He left it here. He's out-" Greg stopped as he saw Nick walk though the door of the break room.  
  
"Greg, have you seen my cell?" Nick asked.  
  
Greg's Adam's apple bounced down and back up to it's rightful spot on his neck as he gulped once again. "Yeah...um...Norah?"  
  
"Hello? How do you know? Is Nick there?" Norah asked as Greg looked up at Nick, thinking of some excuse for why he's talking on his cell phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Norah?" Nick excitedly snatched the phone from Greg.  
  
Greg set his hands firmly on the ground as he brought his feet over his head and flipped off the couch onto the floor. He cleared his throat and picked up a newspaper he had kicked off the end table in his attempt to be a gymnast. The table held magazines-mostly science-related, of course-five different worldly newspapers and coasters, although no one used them and it was visible from the annoying circles from the coffee cups. Even though the table seemed to show them off proudly, Brass thought they only showed that the scientists were slobs when not on the job.  
  
Greg sat on the couch and eavesdropping into the conversation, which must have been more interesting on the Norah-side of the phone because the only thing he heard was "yeah," "okay," and laughs from Nick. He could tell she was talking about him when Nick glanced at Greg and laughed. And maybe it was good, but probably not. Greg knew he had made a bad first impression but didn't care, as his Inner-Self #2 said: girls like muscles, not brains, he had no chance with Norah--not while Nick was around.  
  
Nick gave a final laugh and replied casually into the phone that he'd "be there in fifteen minutes." Greg looked at his watch. 2:51. Why was he going on a date so early? Nick hit a button on his phone and Norah was gone.  
  
"Stay off my phone, man," Nick warned and was gone. Greg got off the couch and walked to the doorframe.  
  
"Sorry," he shouted down the long hall at the back of Nick's head. "Have fun on your date."  
  
"I'd explain why it's not a date but I don't have time," Nick yelled back at the assumption the lab tech threw at him. "I have to pick up my niece at the airport." He turned the corner and glanced back at Greg, grinning like a ninny at the thought of a single woman. Nick couldn't help but cringe at what was probably running through Greg's mind. Something about lacy underwear or new pick-up lines, no doubt. 


	2. Settling In

Chapter Two: Settling In  
  
Norah and Nick walked into the building too busy laughing and catching up for them to notice the receptionist who gave a calm, "Hello, Mr. Stokes," as they passed by.  
  
Norah was a slender, average height girl with an olive complexion, dark brown hair and bright green eyes.  
  
As a teenager she was quite lanky, until she grew breasts, finally, when she was almost sixteen. She grew wilder, too. She was scorned when she lost her virginity at 17, the ultimate social sin. Obviously, the "popular" crowd was, to say the least, different from the normal popular clique in America. The social code of normality called for Mary Jane's, meticulously clean pleated skirts and an even more spotless reputation to make sucking up and getting brownie points much easier. Norah was stunningly beautiful and rebellious. People were afraid to let both their children and their boyfriends near her. They thought she would either soil them spiritually or steal them. But Norah had bigger things planned for herself. She was labeled an outcast until the most popular girl in school, Laurel Somantuan, found out she was the niece of the nearly legendary Nick Stokes. The first thing Norah said when Laurel asked if she was related to the former football star was, "No, I only sign my last name 'Stokes' so that dumbasses can come up and kiss my butt to get his phone number." Filling the social norm wasn't hard for Norah, she just would rather have been known as a 'rebel' than a 'clone.'  
  
Nick and Norah were close until Nick started high school, Norah was five and felt neglected by Nick. She became frustrated with him always too busy with sports and girls to even read her a bedtime story, but they again grew closer after Norah graduated from high school.  
  
She landed in a college in France. Four years of drama school, twenty boyfriends and six ex-fiancée's later she came home without her thick Texan accent, money and a job. But she could say 'cheese omelet' in French and that must count for something.  
  
She moved in with her mom and started saving money to go to California to start an acting career. Fortunately, after a year her mom got tired of her living there and paid for her to go to California. She left Texas only to return on Christmases, although she still struggled at getting a job in show business. She landed a few roles in some dreadful horror movies and did a couple of nude scenes for some big movie. They cut out her face and only used her body, placing the main character's head where hers used to be. When she asked the producers why they just rambled on about it being cheaper than getting the donut-of-an-actress into a gym to get her into shape. She shrugged and figured it was a job to pay the bills and didn't complain anymore. Her beauty sparked a couple of relationships in Hollywood, one with a big shot actor. It was a good one until the tabloids found out about the romance. Needless to say, Norah was dropped like a hot potato by the cocky star. He mumbled something about loosing his teenybopper fanbase because of the relationship while he tossed her bag of shoes out of his posh mansion.  
  
She got on a bus the next day and found Mr. Right. A tall, blonde California-native named Owen, he too was an aspiring actor. He was funny and drop-dead gorgeous, so much that girls would drool as they walked down the streets, some 'aww'ing, some glaring at Norah. They were engaged until Norah met his parents. They were strict and thought Owen should go for a more traditional girl--preferably one without a tattoo. When she asked him what was wrong with her tattoo, a ring of thorns around her bellybutton, which was his favorite part of her body, he mumbled something about his parents being right. She left him after throwing a plate at his head. But don't worry--it only made his head swell more.  
  
She enjoyed the single life and partied often. One day at a club a more- famous Owen came up to her while she was having a drink. After she almost choked, a surprised Norah exchanged phone numbers with the now godly handsome Owen. He was even more down-to-earth and Norah fell in love again. They hung out a couple of times but never dated again, mostly because of his parents. They became best friends after a few weeks and became inseparable. He landed her a few major roles in some independent movies, saving the bigger ones for himself, but she didn't mind. She was just glad to have a friend in Hollywood. After a month-and-a-half of an acting drought, Norah decided to move to Vegas. Nick was happy, Owen, however, was furious. He professed his love to her and begged her to stay in California. When she told him there was nothing there for her he murmured something about being patient. She left that night leaving Owen nothing but a goodbye note.  
  
She bought a one-way ticket to Las Vegas and the next thing she knew she was in the LVPD's crime lab.  
  
Nick and Norah walked into the break room. Warrick stood up and Norah and him embraced. "Norah, how have you been?"  
  
"Okay, how about you?"  
  
"I've been good."  
  
"That's great!"  
  
"How do you two know each other exactly?" Asked an abnormally quiet Greg. He was again sitting upside down on the couch. He was visibly jealous.  
  
"That's Greg, isn't it?" Norah said, very sure that it was.  
  
"So, Nick does say nice stuff about me?" Greg asked semi-hopefully. Nick bit his lip, hoping Norah would fib.  
  
She looked at Nick. "Yeah, all the time."  
  
Nick and Warrick laughed behind her.  
  
"But, it's your voice...you know, Nick's cell," she continued.  
  
Greg ignored the laughter from the peanut gallery. He now deepened his voice, "A lot of people think it's sexy." Now Norah could barely resist laughing and the howling behind her grew louder.  
  
"Oh, it is," Norah said with a smile and a wink.  
  
Greg looked her up and down, noting especially her clothes--a pair of jeans and a red, low-cut, V-neck, practically see-through shirt. She didn't normally wear clothes this revealing, she preferred to let the men's imaginations run away with them, but she ran into--literally--an actor, at the Hollywood airport, she had worked with earlier that year. His coffee was everywhere so he insisted on giving her a shirt from his girlfriend's wardrobe. Norah was skinner than her, but her boobs filled the extra space nicely. She vowed she wouldn't give it back and also promised herself a new tank top to wear under it.  
  
"I don't remember how you two said you knew each other," Greg pushed, looking at Warrick, then Norah's boobs, then her face, then Warrick again.  
  
"She's my girlfriend," Warrick lied to see Greg's reaction. He put his hands on her hips and gave her a small peck on the lips.  
  
Greg flipped over again, off the couch and headed to the door of the break room, rolled his eyes and looked at Norah's butt before leaving in a huff to go back to his lab. "Laugh it up! I'm always the butt of the jokes," he screamed down the hall when he got to the lab.  
  
All three started laughing, even though they genuinely felt bad for mocking him.  
  
The next thing they heard was Grissom telling Greg that he was loud enough to wake the dead. Greg then shouted something about not worrying because he wasn't in the autopsy room anyway.  
  
Grissom then headed to the break room to see what the laughing was all about.  
  
"This is my niece, Norah."  
  
Grissom extended his hand, "Gil Grissom."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grissom," she said, giving his hand a friendly shake. Suddenly her cell rang. "Excuse me," she said walking out of the room. She looked at the phone to see who it was. She sighed and rolled her eyes when she saw that it was Owen.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Norah, where are you?"  
  
"Las Vegas," she replied a little too casually for Owen.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking?"  
  
"I told you already, Owen," Norah started.  
  
Nick stuck his finger down his throat when she said his name. He knew the whole story about Owen and presumed more.  
  
She continued, "Hollywood isn't for me. It has nothing to offer me."  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Fly your butt down here if you want to be with me, because I'm not coming back."  
  
"What about my career?"  
  
"What about mine? My fifteen minutes of fame is up. I'm sick of being body doubles for chunky stars. Goodbye Owen," she hung up before Owen could say anything else, she paced the hall for a moment.  
  
"Boyfriend?" Warrick mouthed to Nick. He moved his hand back and forth to indicate he was kind of her boyfriend. They didn't even know their status. Grissom half glared at them both as Norah came back in. She forced a smile, "You guys can get back to work.I don't want to intrude." She glanced at Grissom and then back at Warrick and Nick.  
  
All three smiled sympathetically at her and left her alone in the break room. She left to go out to Nick's car and came back in with her laptop. She set it up and began to sign on to the Internet.  
  
-------  
  
Sara walked into the lab and sat the "mysterious wet spot" from the baseball park down on the table across from a daydreaming Greg, who was currently in Tahiti with a topless Norah. They'd just found out the spot was actually chewing tobacco and spit and she needed to know if the spit belonged to their victim. "Greg?" She waited to see if he'd snap out of his daze. "Greg," she shouted.  
  
"Damn you! It was just getting good," Greg said.  
  
Sara looked at Greg with bewilderment.  
  
"I want her," Greg said, zoning out again.  
  
Sara was puzzled at who "her" was, "Okay, well.I'm going to leave you this, test it, please."  
  
Greg nodded absent-mindedly, not really listening to Sara.  
  
Sara growled at Greg and walked out of the lab, with the sample, in frustration.  
  
Greg then saw Warrick and Nick pass by the door and decided mentally that it was a good time to find Norah-without Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb around.  
  
-------  
  
He watched her brilliant eyes dance across the screen of her computer. He tried to think of a clever one-liner before she discovered him in the doorframe of the break room.  
  
She felt like she was being watched but didn't bother taking her eyes off the screen.  
  
"Whatcha doing?" Greg asked her breasts. 'Damn, damn, damn! How stupid was that line?' He mentally slapped himself.  
  
'God, do I need to wear a sweater to get this guy to actually talk to me instead of my boobs?' she mentally slapped him. "Just checking some e- mails," she forced a smile.  
  
'Must look higher!' He forced his eyes to hers and off her breasts. He mentally patted himself on the back. "That's cool," he said to her face and smiled.  
  
'Finally, God!' She mentally patted him on the back. "Yeah," this time her smile was authentic.  
  
'Go for it, Greggo, ask!' "I was wondering if, maybe, you want to want to go to dinner with me tomorrow night," he asked as calmly as he could.  
  
'Oy, the guy's hitting on me and he just met me a half hour ago, and just discovered I had a face two seconds ago!' "Sure," she couldn't help it-he was so cute.  
  
Greg smiled again as his eyes slid down her neck to her chest again. He slapped himself-this time not mentally. Norah's jaw dropped at Greg's self- abuse. Greg prayed she wouldn't wear that shirt the next day as he walked out of the room.  
  
-------  
  
After meeting virtually everyone in the building, Nick took Norah to his house. He had to do more work, but figured he'd drop her at home to rest.  
  
They stopped at a stop sign. Norah told him Greg had asked her out on a date and how he couldn't stop looking at her chest and how he had slapped himself. He loved how Norah made his emotions change so quickly. He went from "Aww!" to "I'm going to shoot his penis off." to laughing his butt off. Listening to Norah was like watching a movie. Her facial expressions and impressions would make Adam Sandler jealous. While some of the stories themselves would make for good tearjerker chick flicks, some so sad they even made him cry. And listening to her impersonations of the "technical breakdowns," as she put it, of her toaster, microwave, and computer were like sound effects out of a sci-fi movie.  
  
They left the car and he helped her carry her luggage into his house.  
  
"I'll just put this stuff in my bedroom and get my pillow to sleep on the couch with," he said knowing Norah wouldn't let him sleep on the couch.  
  
"Nick! No way, I'll sleep on the couch," Norah objected.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
He kissed her head and said goodbye but not before handing her the remote control. She smiled and thanked him. She was lucky, and grateful. Her Uncle Nick was the closest she had to a dad, although he was more of a brother, if any relation at all.  
  
He was her confidant.  
  
Her mother-Libby-got pregnant at the early age of 20. Everyone in the Stokes household was supportive, and that was a lot-she had six siblings plus her mom and dad. She was the oldest, Nick the youngest. When Norah was born all 16 hands helped Libby with the baby. Nick felt he had the closest connection to the baby, him being only 10 years older than her.  
  
She always remembered adoring him.  
  
Norah fell asleep thinking of the "good ol' days," as her grandmother might have said. 


	3. The Big Night

Chapter Three:  
  
The Big Night  
  
Norah woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon. She got off the couch and walked into the smoke-filled kitchen. What she thought to be bacon appeared to be more like fried dog crap; small, black and slimy. She prayed Nick didn't make it for her, she thought she was going to be sick just looking at it. And then she'd miss her date. Hmm.actually, it didn't sound like a bad idea.  
  
Nick looked up from the stove. "Good morning," he smiled putting the so- called bacon on a plate next to two other unidentifiable objects, both also black. After seeing how she looked at it he stated what it was supposed to be, "Bacon, toast and eggs."  
  
'I don't think eggs are supposed to be black-bacon either for that matter,' she told herself. "Looks great," she lied. Nick could tell, of course-he always could, she was so easy to read.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It looks like crap."  
  
Norah braced herself and took a bite of the toast. "It's actually pretty good," she lied again, a burnt after-taste on her tongue. She wondered where his dog was-she could have sworn he had a dog the last time she came to visit.  
  
"I think I have some frozen pizza," Nick said into the freezer, looking for the aforementioned pizza. "Maybe."  
  
"How about I treat you to breakfast," Norah suggested.  
  
"Nah, I'm not hungry-plus I have to get to the lab and get some more work done-hot case," Nick didn't seem to be too upset about her not eating the breakfast he made. And burned.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Help yourself to something in the freezer," Nick said from the living room after grabbing his car keys. "Oh yeah, Owen called."  
  
"I don't know what I'm going to do about him," Norah groaned following Nick into the living room.  
  
"Tell him it's over-for good-as directly as you can tell an airhead like him," he paused while Norah glared. "Tell him you have a new man," Nick smiled thinking about the night before after Norah left and how happy Greg'd been about scoring a date with Norah.  
  
"Who would that be?" Norah asked knowing whom but asking anyway, irate that Nick would think that Greg was a "man," let alone her man.  
  
Nick smiled and stated the obvious, "Greg."  
  
"He's not my man," Norah corrected. "He's just a guy I met yesterday," Norah said stressing the yesterday part.  
  
"But Owen doesn't know that," Nick winked.  
  
Norah shook her head, "Wouldn't that be like using Greg?"  
  
"No," Nick semi-lied.  
  
"I don't want to hurt him."  
  
"You guys are going on a date tonight-that must mean something. So he kind of is your man, for tonight anyway. And he wants to be so it's not really using him, it's more like.lying to Owen," he explained.  
  
"Fine," Norah gave in, "but don't leave me yet." She picked up the phone and called Owen. "I hope this works," she told Nick while the phone rang.  
  
"He-"  
  
"Look, Owen, it's over. For good. I have a new man and I think you should find a new woman. I mean, it shouldn't be hard, you're gorgeous," she spoke fast. She felt like she was loosing a part of herself afterward. She was though-she was loosing her friend and love of her life. She knew when it was done Nick would say some corny saying about fish.  
  
"You know," a female voice said on the other end, "you're right-it is over."  
  
"You're not Owen."  
  
"You're quick."  
  
Norah heard Owen stir and ask who it was in a tired tone. She quickly hung up, "He took it well," she said holding back the tears in her eyes. She missed Owen already. She forced out a fake smile, "See you later."  
  
"You should come down to work with me," Nick advised, afraid she might do something drastic.  
  
She didn't want to but choose to anyway after telling Nick to give her five minutes she took some clothes into the bathroom and just cried.  
  
She put some make-up on in addition to her solid-colored pink T-shirt and clam diggers with her favorite flip-flops. She walked back into Nick's living room, hunched over from a broken heart.  
  
She didn't know why she felt this way-she wanted him gone.  
  
Nick put his arm around her shoulder. They walked to the car and were off.  
  
-------  
  
Greg was spinning in his stool, even though Grissom had told the insane scientist three times before he had better calm down. Catherine thought it was probably a combination of the pre-date excitement and the abundant amount of candy bars and Mountain Dew she swears he has daily for breakfast. Warrick walked into the lab, "So, excited for your date tonight?"  
  
Greg stopped the stool from spinning and wobbled back and forth unsteadily, "It's going to be fun," he smiled almost cynically.  
  
"Don't do anything to hurt her, Greg," Warrick said firmly. "Both me and Nick will break off your arms if you do," he warned.  
  
"I'm appalled you think I would do something stupid to someone as beautiful as Norah. With so many people that could, for example, break off my arms if I did. I thought you knew me better than that."  
  
"I do, that's why I said it," Warrick said pushing a bit of blood in a container toward him, "I need to know if this matches our Sinker," referring to a body found in a local's pool, a case him and Catherine were working on.  
  
Greg looked suspiciously at Warrick, "How do you know Norah?"  
  
"The DNA of the Sinker should be on file," Warrick continued ignoring Greg's question.  
  
"Okay, okay, I see you don't want to discuss it," Greg started, "I'll ask later."  
  
"I met her four years ago at Christmas, I went home to Nick's because I had no where else to go, satisfied?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," Greg shrugged and let it go. He knew better not to push Warrick too far.  
  
-------  
  
Nick and Norah walked into the LVPD Crime Lab building like they did the day before, but quieter, sadder. Nick promised not to tell anyone about the break-up. She promised not to cry.  
  
Catherine passed them in the hall, "Hey Nick, hey Norah." She smiled and they smiled back. "Norah could you do me a favor?" Norah looked at Nick and then silently nodded. "Can you baby-sit Lindsey from 3 to 5 this afternoon? She needs to be picked up from school, but I figure you could use Nick's car. Just give her some ice cream and she'll be happy." Norah nodded a couple more times and gave a silent smile. "Thanks." She was obviously in a hurry; she rushed out of the building before she barely got the 'Thanks' out. Norah only knew who Lindsey was from her conversations with Nick.  
  
"I'll pick her up with you because she won't know who you are and the people at her school'd probably go psycho if some chick just picked her up," Nick said, thinking way farther ahead than Catherine, obviously. For once. The people at Lindsey's school definitely knew him well enough-he'd pick her up many times when Catherine was tied up with a case and Eddie was just too lazy too get up.  
  
Norah nodded.  
  
Nick looked at his watch. "We have about two hours." The day shift seemed to have mysteriously fallen off the face of the Earth, as the night crew grew more enticed by their cases. Maybe it was the unseasonably warm weather that got them more hyped about working. It actually freaked Eckley out that Grissom's crew was working so hard, but he didn't complain; less work for him. But it was hot even for Las Vegas this December, but once the sun went down on the Desert City it was nice to curl up with someone to keep toasty. But Nick tried not to think of that for fear that his pity for Norah would grow.  
  
Norah nodded.  
  
"What time is your date with Greg?"  
  
Norah shrugged.  
  
Nick hoped the old Norah would return soon. The talkative Norah. The Norah that would only shut up if-well, he hadn't found out how actually to shut her up, but was fun to listen to anyway. "Okay, well." Nick tried to think of something else to say but really couldn't, he was too used to the old ways with Norah. Norah talks, Nick listens. Not Nick talk, Norah sulk. 'Why Norah, why?' he asked himself.  
  
But he was sure Lindsey would cheer Norah up. Little kids have these little emotion detectors in their fragile little bodies that sense when someone was sad and they, sometimes, are the only ones who have the power to cheer that person up. Who thought little kids could be so cool? Not Nick, but that's how he remembers Norah from his teenage memories.  
  
If Norah was Native American they would have named her Little Girl With Big Heart. Instead, she was born into a Texan-Italian family named after her great-grandmother. Nick still remembered jumping on the bed, when no one was looking, of course, with Toddler Norah, laughing her cute giggle and her huge green eyes letting you know that she loved everyone. Even then she was a talkative one. By age three, she could recite the alphabet, minus N, thanks to Nick. She would sing it to the point were everyone would curse Nick under their breaths that he taught her it. At dinner, at the store, in front of the television, anytime she could. But the number one thing Nick remembers about his time with Norah when they were little was how she cared so much about him. Nick would come home from Junior High School, a frown on his face, his shoulders low, his heart heavy. Norah would greet him with a hug and ask him what was wrong. Even when he said 'nothing,' she could tell something was up. He told her about the mean homework-giving teacher, the rude friend who split his milk at lunch, or the bully who pushed him down and Norah would just listen, with the occasional outbreak of the ABC's. After pouring his heart out, he'd steal some cookies, while she poured the thick milk into two tall glasses, even though she'd end up spilling them both by the time they were done.  
  
He smiled at the daydream which reminisced the past. It must have been a long one because Sara looked at Nick like she was waiting for an answer to some question she just asked. "Hmm?"  
  
"This whole ignoring Sara thing that seems to be going around-is this a result of Norah, by any chance?" Sara asked, obviously pissed off.  
  
"I'm not ignoring you."  
  
"Then repeat what I just said," Sara countered quickly, sounding like a whiny teacher trying to teach a student a lesson about listening they'd forget about next period anyway. One that was taught to Nick many times in high school.  
  
Nick let out a few 'um's and then Sara pounced.  
  
"I said that the time of death according to David was 9:00am, Dr. Robbin's confirmed David's hypothesis was right, the DNA in the tobacco and spit wasn't our victim's, our victim isn't Paul, and Bigfoot wears official pro- baseball cleats" Sara said furiously, almost shouting.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Nick said. He mentally checked over each thing that she said to make sure that he'd remember it. "Wait, pro-baseball cleats?"  
  
"Yeah, they're custom-made, which doesn't surprise me by the size of the foot," Sara commented.  
  
Nick noted that it was a minor league ballpark in his head, but he knew a major league team was practicing there for two weeks. "The Expos are practicing there this week." Nick said, "They're getting a much needed head- start for next season."  
  
Sara let Nick play newscaster for about three minutes; he rattled off batting averages, team scores and players from the past 16 years. "But, what does this have to do with our case?" Sara inquired.  
  
Nick thought about it for a second, "Well, do you know what size the shoe is?"  
  
"Bigger than a size 13," Sara stated, "which is about the biggest they come but I can't get an exact size because they're made exactly to fit this guy."  
  
Nick flipped threw the file folder in his memory bank under 's' for 'shoe sizes.' "There's only 2 pro-players with a shoe size bigger than a 13-one on the Expos. Jerry Donahue."  
  
Sara jerked her head to see if there was some hidden cue card Nick was reading. She was surprised by the way it sounded-like from a book, but not surprised the jock-turned-scientist knew it. "Well, let's go talk to this guy."  
  
Nick looked at his watch, "I can't, I have to take Norah to pick up Linds in fifteen minutes."  
  
Sara practically turned into a green-eyed monster at the sound of Norah's name roll off his tongue. Ever since she came here, a mere two days ago, it seems like she was always the center of attention and quite frankly Sara was jealous. Greg had even stopped hitting on her and the neglect was noticeable to her. "Okay, I'll go by myself," she tried to sound like she didn't care, but secretly hoped Nick would sympathize.  
  
"Great, I'll see you later," Nick said trailing off as he left the room.  
  
"By the way, I know the brand of chewing tobacco," she said to the empty chair, wishing it would talk back since no one else would while Norah was going to be in Vegas.  
  
-------  
  
"Nicky!" Lindsey ran out of the school into Nick's arms. Norah smiled, remembering herself at Lindsey's age and how attached she was to Nick then.  
  
"Hey Linds," Nick smiled and hugged her. After putting her firmly on the ground she discovered a smiling Norah. "Lindsey, this is my niece, Norah. She's a friend of your mom's and she's going to be watching you will Uncle Nicky goes back to work."  
  
Lindsey looked her over as if her Emotion Detectors sensed she was sad. Lindsey gave a warm smile, "Hi, Norah."  
  
"Hi Lindsey."  
  
After introductions were over and done with Norah drove Nick back to work and was off for a day with Lindsey. "Do you like ice cream?" She asked the outgoing, youthful face in the backseat, which nodded back with enthusiasm in the rearview mirror. "Me, too. What's your favorite flavor?"  
  
"Vanilla."  
  
"Mine is chocolate."  
  
"Chocolate isn't as good to me as vanilla," Lindsey explained.  
  
Norah had to smile at the little kid reasoning. She couldn't wait to have kids, even though finding the right man was the real problem.  
  
-------  
  
Norah walked into the house to find Nick lounging on the couch, his head on one arm, feet on the other, watching some sports game on the TV. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, Greg told Sara to tell Catherine to tell me to tell you that he'd come to pick you up at 5:15," Nick said, trying his best to sound like some popular gossip from Anywhere, USA.  
  
"I have five minutes. I'm going to get ready and take a shower, keep him occupied for a couple of minutes," Norah said grabbing one of the three bags she had packed to come from California.  
  
"Sure." Nick wanted to know if she was feeling better but decided to hold back on his questions about Owen and ask about her babysitting instead, "How did it go?"  
  
"Good," Norah shouted through the bathroom door. "We went to McDonald's to play in the Ball Crawl and the manager threatened to kick us out if we didn't buy anything." She went into a voice that was supposed to resemble the manager's voice, "The Ball Crawl is for paying customers only!" She took off her shirt and continued, "So I asked him if we could buy one of those cheap-o Barbie Happy Meal toys that doesn't do anything buy sit there and we played for the rest of the time."  
  
He smiled, "Definitely sounds like you."  
  
She laughed too and proceeded to tell him about the rude ice cream vendor she threw ice cream at and the new sneakers she bought for Lindsey at the mall while she finished undressing for her shower. Nick knew the old Norah was back.  
  
Their conversation paused for Norah's shower.  
  
The doorbell rang like someone had fallen asleep on it. "Lay off the freaking bell!" Nick screamed at Greg. He rang the bell one more time, this time a normal ring. Nick growled and got off the couch mumbling.  
  
Greg was there smiling when he opened the door. He frowned when he saw that it was Nick and not Norah.  
  
"Come in, Norah'll be ready in a minute." He looked at Greg oddly.  
  
"What? Is there stuff in my teeth? Ohmigosh." He ran toward the bathroom.  
  
"No, It's weird seeing you without your lab coat," Nick said but not fast enough apparently. Greg had opened the door at the exact moment Norah was getting out of the shower. He now stood there staring at her, mouth gaping. Nick threw a towel in the bathroom covering his eyes and reaching for Greg's.  
  
"Ow! My eye! You poked my eye!"  
  
"Don't look at her, she's naked you pervert!"  
  
"Get your finger out of my eye socket!"  
  
"Close the door! Close your damn eyes, Greg!"  
  
"I'm going to kick your balls."  
  
"I'm going to rip yours off and fry them for my neighbor's cat."  
  
"Well I'm going to feed yours to my grandmother!"  
  
The shouting continued until she came out of the bathroom.  
  
"I can't believe you sat there just staring at her," Nick stated, disgusted.  
  
"Nick, half the country's seen my boobs anyway," Norah said, referring to the movie she was in.or her body was in anyway. Greg looked more mortified than he'd ever looked in his whole life.  
  
"And I still can't watch that movie."  
  
Greg's expression changed to confusion.  
  
Norah looked at Greg and tried to explain, "I was a body double for Anne David in Intended."  
  
Greg's face lit up, "I knew your tattoo looked familiar!"  
  
If Norah were anyone else she probably would have been freaked out by now. Of course, if Norah were anyone else she probably wouldn't have done the movie.  
  
She had put on a jean skirt that fell just below her knees and a white tank with a tight pink plaid button-down top with all but the top two and bottom buttons buttoned exposing her bellybutton. Her make-up was minimal, but she didn't really need it. Her hair was done up messily, but it looked cute. Only a few strands hung down into her face.  
  
When the two finally noticed Norah she was smiling, ready for Greg.even though it took about 15 minutes for them to completely shut up about balls and perverts. She let out a breathy "Finally" when they were finished and Greg and her started out to Greg's car.  
  
"Have fun, Norah," Nick shouted out praying that she wouldn't think of anything Owen-related on the date. "As for you, Greggo," He shook his head. "Remember what I said about you touching her." He made his jaw tight to show that he meant business.  
  
Greg held his hand up in argument, "Don't worry about us." Greg speed out of the driveway before Nick could say anything more-he was sick of the threats he had heard all day. Everything from broken arms to fried balls. At one point Warrick and Nick even paid Judy, a secretary, to say they would cut his ears off if he hurt Norah. He had started asking himself why he was taking her out if there were so many bad things they could do to poor Greg if he even said the wrong thing. A crime in the crime lab? Greg smiled to himself at his humorous thought. "So, what do you do for a living?"  
  
"Act. I'm here to try to get re-discovered, I guess. I've been in a few movies and stuff but nothing major. I hope to get into some show or something to boost my career."  
  
He smirked at the thought of Norah as a Las Vegas showgirl, luckily she was too busy searching through the radio stations to find some good tunes. "Did you go to college?"  
  
"Yeah, in France."  
  
"So, can you speak French?"  
  
"No.well.I can say a few words," although she didn't specify which ones.  
  
"How did you survive in France if you don't speak French?"  
  
She shrugged, "Bilingual friends mostly."  
  
He smiled. "Now that's resourceful. So is France really as pretty as they show it on the Travel channel?"  
  
"It's nice, the café's are really cute, it looks just like something out of Madeline," referring to the French orphan girl who starred in her own book series and television show. Norah remembered Nick reading the books to her and she promised him that she was going to go to France to see the Eiffel Tower, just like Madeline. "Did you always want to be a scientist?"  
  
"Well, when I was five I wanted to be a pro-wrestler, my mom told me I had potential, but my dad was worried about me," He laughed at Norah's 'Are you serious' smile. "I know, my family's quite odd, now you know where I get it." Norah laughed and Greg smiled. "When I was ten I decided I want to be a lunch lady."  
  
This statement made Norah go into a fit of laughter. "Seriously?"  
  
When the laughing of both of them dulled down Greg told of some more professions. "When I was fifteen I wanted to be a pimp. When I was sixteen," he paused a second, "a race car driver, my dad didn't approve of any of those so he persuaded me to take up my best subject in school- science."  
  
Norah wondered if he was telling the truth but then decided that it didn't matter, he was so funny and oh-so-adorable. "I think you would make one sexy wrestler," She laughed.  
  
He flashed a smile at Norah. She wasn't too sure that she liked Greg until then. At that moment she knew that she wouldn't be missing Owen as long as Greg was around. Then she told herself to stop jumping to conclusions. 'How do you know that you REALLY like Greg? Really, really like him? You don't know him!' She frowned at herself and shook the thoughts out of her head. She was going to have a good time tonight if it was the last thing she would do. 


	4. Sealed Lips

Chapter Four: Sealed Lips  
  
The night consisted of a lot of talking. Norah felt she knew Greg inside and out. And then they sat there-er, laid there, rather, on his couch. He kissed her neck as he unbuttoned her pink shirt and his warm hand crept up her tank top. She took off his shirt. He suddenly stopped and sat up.  
  
Questions rushed into her head. "Did I do something wrong?" Norah sat up too.  
  
"No.no.but I did."  
  
"What? Are you saying this was a mistake? Or.or." Norah demanded.  
  
"No way," Greg smiled with satisfaction. "It's just that the guys-Warrick and Nick-they've been on my case all day saying that if I touched you that they would kill me."  
  
Norah's eyes questioned him with fury. "What makes you think I would tell them what we did? I wouldn't let them hurt you anyway."  
  
"I-I just thought you told Nick everything and I just didn't want to do anything wrong." Greg looked at her and then reached down to the royal blue carpeted floor and picked up her shirt he had thrown there carelessly. "I can take you home now.I mean.I would want to go to-I mean-"  
  
Norah cut off his stammering with a smile, "I don't want to leave-unless you want me to."  
  
"No, definitely not," Greg said quickly.  
  
"I think you did everything right," Norah said pulling him on top of her, kissing his lips gently, as if the fairytale hadn't just been abruptly interrupted.  
  
-------  
  
Nick looked at his watch for the fortieth time since Warrick had gotten there. Warrick glanced up from the taped football game that was playing on Nick's television. "Why are you in such a rush for her to get home?" Warrick questioned Nick.  
  
"I'm just worried about her," Nick said in a fatherly tone.  
  
Warrick rolled his eyes. "She'll be home when she gets home-I mean, it hasn't really been that long anyway."  
  
"Three hours!"  
  
"So?" Warrick asked. "She's just having a good time."  
  
"I'm calling her," Nick warned, phone in hand. Warrick shrugged and turned his attention back at the TV.  
  
The phone rang nearly ten times before Greg had stopped kissing Norah long enough for her to answer. "Hello?" She answered, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"With Greg, Smart One."  
  
"Don't get smart with me, young lady."  
  
Norah rolled her eyes. "Can I go?"  
  
"Why did it you take so long to answer?"  
  
"We were playing Parcheesi."  
  
Nick winced at the sarcasm. It made him ask himself why he'd bother her for a second, but then remembered the reason. Greg. "When are you coming home?" He heard Greg let out an impatient sigh.  
  
"Can I go, please?" She asked Nick again.  
  
Nick covered the bottom half of the receiver with his palm and told Warrick to make up an excuse for her to come home.  
  
"I'm not going to ruin her fun."  
  
"I'm not worried about her fun, what about Greg's fun?" Nick said.  
  
Warrick's eyes were still glued to the television. "Greg maybe horny but Norah's sensible and responsible."  
  
"Does this sound responsible to you?" He held up the phone to Warrick's ear.  
  
Greg must have got impatient and Norah set down the phone. The sounds of kissing and giggles and moans made Warrick cringe. "Fine. Give me the phone." He shouted Norah's name into the phone, hoping he was loud enough to break up the lovemaking going on at the opposite end of the line.  
  
Greg gave another impatient sigh as Norah picked up the phone, "Yeah?"  
  
Nick listened to Warrick talk to Norah, "Yeah.hey.how's it going.yeah, I kind of heard.umm.Nick's sick.yeah.major sick.I'm talking on his death bed.football? You can hear it? Well.a sick man's got to have some form of entertainment.me? A sick man's got to have someone around, which leads me to why I called. I'm working a double shift tomorrow and I need to get some sleep.I hope you don't mind.I know he is but he's honestly sick.his temperature? It's um.103°.okay.okay.okay, bye." He hung up.  
  
"So?"  
  
"She's on her way over." Warrick said. "You know.you're pathetic."  
  
"Me? You're the one who made up the story."  
  
"You're the one who wanted her home."  
  
"What the hell was that 'death bed' bull?"  
  
"Can you say acting? You wish you had those skills."  
  
"I know the real reason why you made it up-you're jealous of Greg!" Nick shouted at Warrick.  
  
Warrick glared at his so-called friend. "I just helped you and you're calling me jealous? I was just thinking about the well being of my home girl. You know how Greg gets."  
  
"What about you? You don't? So the Holy Spirit got Norah preg-" Nick stopped when he saw Norah and Greg walk through the door. He knew that Greg lived only 3 blocks away but how did they get there so fast?  
  
Norah looked at Nick. "You don't look too sick."  
  
Greg stood there, Nick could tell he hadn't heard anything. He exhaled; relieved that Greg didn't learn Warrick and Norah's secret, the true reason they knew each other. What Warrick had told Greg previously was true; they did meet when Nick came home from Christmas a few years ago with his best friend from the lab. Nick generously gave Warrick a place to stay for a week while he visited with his family. Norah was happy to see Nick again; she'd been in France, Nick in Vegas. The reunion led to an introduction, which led to dinner and a movie, which led to.well, more. Warrick and Norah had become more than just good friends in that short time. They tried to keep it a secret, afraid that things between Norah and Nick or Warrick and Nick would get weird. Norah finally told Nick when Warrick and her had a bit of an accident and she got pregnant on a rendezvous they had in France, weeks after they met. Warrick lied and told everyone at work he was going to Cancun for a vacation so he could met her there secretly. Nick was outraged that his friend would go for his niece, accusing him of manipulating Norah, figuring he had more experience in his 28 years to her 18. Norah got an abortion and all three patched it up in those four years following. But neither Norah nor Warrick got sour toward each other afterward. In fact, they had kept in touch, calling each other about every two weeks to update and be updated.  
  
The room was silent for a moment.the three knowledgeable of the pregnancy glancing back and forth until Greg broke the silence, "I guess I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow," He told the two grown men. "I'll call you when I get home," he said in almost a whisper into Norah's ear. He gave Nick and Warrick another look and then told Norah something else as her mouth curled up into a smile, Nick and Warrick had matching grimaces when he was done.  
  
Norah smiled again and bit her lip as if her bottom jaw would fall off because of the grinning if she didn't. She gave Greg a peck on the mouth that left Greg craving for more, but Norah felt like she was kissing him in front of her parents, when in reality it was just as bad-her uncle and her ex-lover.  
  
A dissatisfied Greg gave a weak 'good-bye' as he left.  
  
Norah didn't know what to do, she knew what Nick did and she was mad, but she also felt sympathy for Warrick. She let out a faint sigh and headed to the bathroom. She couldn't think of anything else to do. She didn't know what to say.  
  
Nick and Warrick sat on the couch; the living room was silent except for the football game that was still playing on the 32" television. Nick opened his mouth to say something and then closed it, as if he was gathering the courage to spill some big life-altering secret.  
  
"Sorry," Nick mumbled.  
  
"Don't say it to me. Norah's the one you should be telling it to; you almost let it out to her date," Warrick said, hiding his anger with false interest in the game.  
  
Norah walked out of the bathroom and slumped into a chair that was a mere two feet away from where Nick was sitting on the couch.  
  
Warrick looked up, "How was your date?"  
  
"It was great," She tried to sound mad but when she kept thinking about it, she had to smile.  
  
"What did you do?" Nick's eyebrows rose as he asked.  
  
"We had dinner at this nice restaurant and just walked down the strip talking." By now she had forgotten she was mad and dug into all the details but wouldn't go past what had happened after they went to Greg's apartment, but don't think it stopped them from trying to get it out of her. "All I'm saying is he's one damn good kisser." She started again to smile thinking about it when the phone rang. Nick and Warrick started making kissing noises as she picked up the phone. "Hello?" She burst out excitedly. He smile faded into a frown.  
  
"Who is it?" Nick asked although he already had an idea of who it was.  
  
Norah listened to the familiar male voice talk. "I swear that girl this morning-she doesn't mean anything.only you do. You're the only one for me."  
  
"Then what was she doing at your house, Owen?"  
  
"Again?" Warrick asked loudly.  
  
"Who the hell is that?"  
  
"None of your business," Norah said calmly. "You didn't answer my question.what was she doing at your house-answering your phone?" Her voice got louder and more furious by the millisecond.  
  
"She was just there giving me sympathy.I needed someone here for me." Owen said.  
  
Norah could see through his fakeness. She clenched her hand tighter around the phone. "So when I leave for good I imagine you'll throw yourself a pity- party complete with an orgy? Better send out the invitations now so they get there in time because it's over Owen. Actually-I'm not even sure it was ever started, you only dated me to get your appearance out. So you'd be 'The Guy Who's Dating The Ex-girlfriend of Actor Craig Johnson.' You just wanted fame, people to notice you. Well screw you, it's over." She hung up.  
  
The guys just looked at her, they swore they could see smoke coming from her ears.  
  
She grabbed a pillow from next to Nick and screamed into it. The tears that formed into her eyes broke the seal her tightly shut eyelids formed. When she was done screaming she felt relieved until the phone rang again. Her eyes looked at Nick and begged him to tell whoever was on the other end that she wasn't here.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"It's Greg-can I talk to Norah?"  
  
"She's sleeping.she said you guys were going at it so hard that she's exhausted."  
  
Warrick fell off the couch laughing as a mortified Norah shrieked, "Nick." She threw a pillow at him and grabbed the phone. She didn't feel like talking but didn't think she could pull off a story like sleep shouting. "Hello?" A smile formed where a frown was before. "I had a great time tonight, thank you." The guys on the couch started making kissing noises again as the conversation got deeper. She would randomly shoot looks full of dangers at them when they became too loud. "Okay, sounds good.see you then. Bye." She felt like she just got off a roller coaster ride of emotion. The emotions flashed before her until suddenly it stopped and her stomach butterflies felt like they were doing backflips and cartwheels.  
  
"Then?" Nick asked. "Another date?"  
  
"Yeah, is that okay?" Norah didn't really care what he thought.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Fine." Nick said emotionlessly staring at the TV.  
  
Warrick rolled his eyes, "Well, don't expect me to bail you out again."  
  
"Can you stop worrying about me?" Norah asked.  
  
"No. I don't want to see you get hurt," Nick answered, his fatherly side showing. "Or pregnant." He glances at Warrick out of the corner of his eye and then back at Norah. Warrick didn't hear or was too involved with the last quarter of the game to care what Nick had to say.  
  
"What if I want to get pregnant? You can't stop me." Norah grabbed both of their attentions now.  
  
"What?" They both exclaimed.  
  
"You barely know Greg!"  
  
"I'm not-it was simply hypothetical."  
  
"Do you know how much cuter the kid would be if I were the dad?"  
  
"You can't support a baby. You don't even have a job!"  
  
"I'm going to get one!"  
  
"I can't imagine Greg with a baby."  
  
"When are you getting a job?"  
  
"Soon! Damn-I just got here."  
  
"He can't even act his own age when Grissom makes him."  
  
"Why are you so worried?"  
  
"Because you need money for the kid."  
  
"I'm not having a baby-it was hypothetical!" She shouted, making the men quite.  
  
The jumble of words from all directions topped as they sat again in silence after the tape had stopped and started to rewind itself.  
  
"I'm going to bed." Nick said after about 10 minutes.  
  
"I'll see you later," Warrick said reaching for his coat off the chair next to him.  
  
Tensions were high, Norah could feel it but she knew it would all work out in the morning, although the next day seemed so far away. Warrick gave her a slight hug and gave an almost inaudible 'bye.' 


	5. Revelation

Chapter Five: Revelation  
  
Norah felt like she needed to say sorry to Nick and decided to make him a real breakfast before she left to go find a job.  
  
The table had enough food on it to feed an army-or the Stokes family. She figured he could save the extras for later or for the guys at the lab.  
  
She wrote a note and stuck it on a visible place on the kitchen counter.  
  
"Have a good day. Enjoy breakfast. Going job-hunting." She ended it with a smiley face and the simple closing of "Love, N." She turned to admire her work at the doorway of the kitchen one last time before slipping on a pair of shoes and leaving.  
  
She had lined up a few interviews the day she came. She wondered of other careers she could pursue instead of acting while she walked to her first job interview. She also studied to be a chemist, but only for back up. She actually hated science.  
  
She walked into a casino and spoke to a young woman for a minute before the waitress offered to find the manager for Norah. The woman was about her age with blonde hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Hi. I have a job interview and I was wondering where I could find the manager," Norah said after tapping the woman on the shoulder and excusing herself for interrupting the blonde's job.  
  
"Oh, great! We need new girls," she gave a smile. She seemed pretty friendly.  
  
Norah smiled back. "Well I really need the job."  
  
"How long have you been in Las Vegas?"  
  
"Three days," Norah laughed. "How about you?"  
  
"My whole life," She stated. "It's a surprisingly nice place to live, despite the nicknames-like Sin City." She laughed.  
  
"I grew up in Texas." Norah simply said. She didn't want to get into too many details but also offered, "Not the most fun place but decent I suppose."  
  
"Oh, by the way, I'm Lydia." The blonde extended her hand.  
  
Norah shook it, "Norah Stokes."  
  
"Have any family or friends here?"  
  
"My uncle, a little girl whose mom works with my uncle and my ex-boyfriend who also works with my uncle."  
  
They laughed again.  
  
"Jeez, where does he work?"  
  
"The Vegas crime lab."  
  
Lydia looked impressed. "I better get back to work-I'll go get the manager for you. Good luck!" She said as she started for a room that was behind the bar. Her peppiness made Norah cringe with flashbacks from high school. But she stopped herself when she thought about her prejudices.  
  
The manager followed Lydia out of the back room. He was an ancient man with a stern yet saggy face with deep-set brown eyes and white hair. He intimidated Norah even though the old man was about half the size of Norah.  
  
Norah smiled as she introduced herself handing him all the necessary papers. She was scared but could hide it well-one of the great effects a good acting coach has on a good acting student.  
  
------- Nick walked into work, belly full and face smiling. Sara was working in the layout room, mumbling under her breath as Nick walked in. "Hey."  
  
"Yeah, hi," a grumpy Sara replied.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing! I'm just frustrated with this."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I made a copy of all the shoes this baseball player had in his hotel room and none match." Sara said shifting again through the copies. "And that would make me think that he's innocent but-those feet!"  
  
"None of these are cleats." Nick discovered.  
  
"This is all I found-but I got his DNA too so I think I can place him at the crime scene but Greg's not here so he can't test it so it's going to take longer!" She shouted.  
  
"How are you going to prove he was there?" He asked.  
  
"The spot of saliva and tobacco, remember? If that matched his DNA we can place him at the scene and at least it's a lead." Sara shrugged. She wasn't usually this tense but the CSI was definitely under a lot of stress. "We need Greg-where the hell is he?" She tried to calm down but she was too pissed. She pulled her cell out of her pocket and searched for Greg's number in its built-in phone book.  
  
"Hello?" Greg answered groggily.  
  
"Where are you? It's 8 o' clock, you're late!" She said frantically.  
  
"Nick was surprised at himself. He'd just gotten up 3 hours ago to eat Norah's freezing, 5-hour-old breakfast. He calculated mentally how long he had slept. 'Let's see, I went to bed at 4.' he recalled. He watched ESPN in his room from about 10 until then. '13 hours?' Normally Nick could barely sleep 9 hours straight but then he remembered the yelling and frustration that took place a mere 24 hours ago. He wondered if Norah was home. She left at 10 that morning and said she'd probably be out will about 7:30 looking for the essentials for living on your own: a home, a car, a job.  
  
"What do you mean your not coming? What do you mean your sick? You weren't sick yesterday! Whatever. Turkey pox? Aren't you a little old to be inventing new diseases for excuses? Please? Five minutes? Come on! Thanks so much!" Sara smiled and sighed with satisfaction at her newfound compromising skills. She started out the door toward the evidence room with Nick close behind.  
  
-------  
  
Greg set up the test tubes while Nick and Sara watched him carefully.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
Sara and Nick looked and each other and then at Greg. "Nothing. Why are you so paranoid?" Nick asked.  
  
"It's hard to work when you're being watched," Greg glared.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sara asked Greg. "You're acting.weird."  
  
Greg shrugged. "I don't exactly want to be here."  
  
"This is your job," Nick reminded him.  
  
"I kind of had company," Greg said glancing up at Nick, who had no clue who it was. He looked down again at the samples.  
  
Sara had a feeling she knew who it might have been. "God, what is up with the Norah thing? Why does everyone love her?" She practically screamed.  
  
"Norah was at your house?" Nick's eyes full of fury. "She's supposed to be looking for a job."  
  
"She got a job and she's also got an apartment and a car picked out so don't get all pissy." Greg said setting the samples in some machine with a name that is unpronounceable to most any layman.  
  
"Norah's been spending too much time with you-your attitude's rubbing off on her."  
  
Greg glared.  
  
Nick was hurt she told Greg before him. "Wait. An apartment? Where?" Nick asked suspiciously.  
  
"A place in my complex," Greg said without looking up.  
  
"I have to go talk to Norah. I have to go home," Nick said, so many emotions running through his veins. He headed to the door.  
  
Greg cleared his throat. "You won't find her there."  
  
"Okay then. Scratch that-I have to go to Greg's apartment." Nick walked out of the lab and back in. "You better call her and tell her to be decent," he told Greg before leaving once more.  
  
Greg smirked. He took the results from the machine and handed it to Sara. She was standing there frowning.  
  
"What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing. Thanks." She said taking the results.  
  
"What do you have against Norah?"  
  
"What makes you think I have something against her? Because I don't." Sara said walking out of the lab. "It's just what she's doing to Nick that I don't like. He's not sticking to his job."  
  
"Jealousy is against the Bible," he shouted after her.  
  
"So is premarital sex," she said sticking her head into the doorway. "And I'm almost positive your little girlfriend wouldn't like the fact that you're giving all the details to Archie. Nick either, for that matter. Oh by the way, I think that counts as lust, which is one of the Seven Deadly Sins." She smiled and chanted, "You're going to hell. You're going to hell."  
  
Greg shrugged. "I like the heat."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes and left.  
  
Greg ducked out of the building before anyone else could ask-or beg-for his services. He thought about how he had called in sick and how Grissom didn't approve but Greg pulled enough fake coughs that his throat truly did start to hurt. Grissom finally gave up after 20 minutes.  
  
He heard three familiar voices he really didn't want to hear at that moment. "Shit." He saw Grissom, Warrick and Catherine getting out of the car and arguing about something. Most likely having to do with their case. Greg hesitated. He was afraid Grissom would make him stay the rest of the day if he saw him. 'Act like a tree and they won't notice.' He told himself, smiling at the idea.  
  
He raised his arms in the air and swayed back and forth and started to make a noise that was supposed to resemble the wind whipping through tree branches.  
  
The sane trio stopped and stared at him.  
  
Catherine was the first to speak, "Time to call the mental institution." Glancing for a second at Grissom but then turning back to Greg. "He's officially fallen off his rocker."  
  
Warrick rolled his eyes and shook his head at Greg as he walked back into the building.  
  
Greg dropped to his knees. "Please don't make me stay! I have someone over my house-my mom! And she's.sick. I have to go!"  
  
"Why are you here?" Grissom eyed him.  
  
"Sara made me do it!" Greg answered still kneeling. "She said she needed me to test something."  
  
"Isn't Vincent here?" Catherine asked more to Grissom than Greg.  
  
Greg shook his head. "I didn't see him."  
  
Grissom's eyes narrowed. He mumbled about responsibility and how hard it is to find good help these days as he followed Warrick's lead and went inside.  
  
Catherine scrunched up her face. "Your mom's not actually at your house, is she?"  
  
"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't," Greg smiled to let Catherine know the truth.  
  
Catherine shook her head with a trace of a smile on her face, but she tried not to show it. Instead she acted concerned for his safety, "Nick's going to kill you if you mess around with Norah too much. You know he will." Inside she reminisced of her own romances of when she was younger.  
  
"I have to get home," Greg selfishly said hurrying off to his car. Catherine just shook her head and walked into the building.  
  
-------  
  
Nick knocked on Greg's apartment door. "Open up, Norah!"  
  
Norah tried to block out the noise. "Go away," she moaned. She pulled the fluffy comforter of Greg's bed over her head as if it would shield her from Nick's wrath.  
  
Nick was now banging and not just knocking. "Get up Norah Elizabeth."  
  
Norah cringed. She hated when people used her full name. "I'm tired."  
  
"Then go home."  
  
Norah growled as she lifted the sheets off of her and got half way through the apartment before she realized she only had her undergarments on. She frowned and shouted at Nick to stop knocking and that she'd be there in a second. She went back into the bedroom and quickly put her clothes on and ran through the living room, which was more like a corner of the kitchen, only big enough to hold Greg's couch and television set. She went to the door and hoped Nick didn't suspect anything, even though she was sure he did.  
  
She opened the door and looked at Nick, "What?" She asked trying to make her hair a bit less unruly.  
  
Nick pressed his lips together. He glared at Norah, "Do you want to be living with your uncle for the rest of your life?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were supposed to be doing something today. Other than screwing Greg, that is." Nick said tightening his jaw.  
  
"I got a job."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"I'm a cocktail waitress in a casino," Norah smiled with pride but Nick held his expression. "It's a temp until I can get a better one, okay?"  
  
"No, it's not okay, what about everything else you were supposed to do?" Nick counted on his figures, "Find a car, an apartment."  
  
"I did!" Norah shouted, her eyes growing bigger. "You can't expect me to buy them now, I mean it's not like I have that much money. When movies don't do good in the box-office the people in those movies don't get paid as much," Norah said as if she were explaining an easy math problem to a slow student.  
  
"What's going on with you? Ever since you met Greg-which, by the way, was three days ago-you've been acting so different." Nick shouted at her.  
  
Her eyes became bloodshot as she tried to resist crying. Had she really changed that much? "Whatever. You're so over-reacting." She shook her head.  
  
"You've barely been home! You're always with Greg. Three days and your already having sex with the guy? Are you some prostitute who goes after my friends and colleagues for revenge? I thought I knew you better, we used to be best friends." Nick didn't care what the people of Greg's apartment thought, obviously. He was standing in the hall just screaming at Norah.  
  
"How do you know I had sex with him?" Norah countered.  
  
"I know you Norah and I know Greg. Plus, look at Warrick and you. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see a pattern," Nick shouted. By now some people had opened their doors a crack to peek out at the two of them.  
  
Norah glared in their direction and pulled Nick inside the door and slammed it shut. "Can't you act like a rational adult?" She scowled at him.  
  
"No. No! I can't. Okay Norah?" Nick shouted even louder. "You came here and I've barely seen you at all-"  
  
Norah cut him off, "What about your work? That's interfering with it too, it's not just me you know!"  
  
"Remember how you were talking about not hurting Greg? Well have you told him yours and Warrick's little secret yet because I think he deserves to know." Nick said.  
  
"Why don't you tell him--you've told everyone else in this apartment building!" She said grabbing her black purse off the table and walking out the front door and past all the nosy on-lookers outside. She started walking through the parking lot as a car pulled in. The horn honked at her as they slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting her. She threw them a very specific obscene gesture and started walking around the car. Her tears streaked her cheeks.  
  
"Norah?" Greg got out of the car and hurried over to her. She was currently on the sidewalk and walking faster as he approached. "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay? I'm really sorry, I didn't know it was going to take that long. Please don't leave."  
  
She turned around. "This can't happen. I have a secret, I guess. Something that I can't tell you but I have to if this is going to happen and it will probably will ruin it anyway," Norah spoke fast.  
  
So fast that Greg just stood there dumbfounded, not understanding any of it. "This isn't one of those incest-type things, is it?"  
  
Norah tilted her head. "Huh?"  
  
"You, Nick, you know."  
  
Norah had to laugh. "No!" She became serious again, "I think we should go somewhere and talk." She took a deep breath. She had to admit Nick was right. Greg did deserve to know and probably would find out eventually and then it might be worse.  
  
Greg got back into his car and unlocked the passenger door for Norah. She got in and looked out the window at Nick who was walking out to his car. Greg backed out into the street.  
  
She noticed the radio station was on the one she had picked out the night before on their date. She smiled, knowing Greg hated the pop and R&B music she preferred-one of the many things she learned about him the night before.  
  
They pulled into a coffeehouse. Greg parked the car and they got out. He followed her inside. "What would you like?"  
  
Norah bit her lip, a nervous habit she had. "Um.a cappuccino would be great." She wondered if this was the best place to talk. She had already been around enough guys who had made scenes already that day. She sat at a well-lit table in the corner of the Starbucks. It was far away from the only other people there. A pair of women who were about 21-years-old and seemed to be trying to sober up, an older gentlemen who was very involved in his newspaper, and a couple who were in front of Greg in line. She started to plan out what she would say to him.  
  
A pit grew in her stomach. Her pulse raced and her heart was beating like a drum. She was sick of loosing the guys who most liked before they really got to the third date. In Greg's case: the second date. She didn't want to add him to the "Guys Who Will Never Date Me Again" list.  
  
She couldn't go though with it. She couldn't. She thought about making a run for it but found herself trapped like a rat as he stared walking over to her. She swallowed hard. 'Why me?' She asked herself. She prayed he'd understand as her sat down across from her.  
  
He handed Norah her cup.  
  
She gave a faint smile and took a sip.  
  
Greg did the same like her mirror image. "So, what's up?"  
  
She gnawed harder on her bottom lip, "Okay, well I don't know what you've heard about this but here's the real deal. I just hope you don't hate Warrick after," She watched his face twist-up in confusion and anticipation. She continued, "Since you have to work with him and all." She stopped herself from babbling and went on with the story. When they first met, the rendezvous in France, the abortion. Every detail. When she finished she concluded frankly, "It's okay if you don't want to see me any more, because I would want the same if I was in your place. It would be weird.and." She stopped not knowing what else to say.  
  
He kind of sat there in shock. Now that he knew this he DID feel weird.  
  
They sat in silence for what seemed like a lifetime. She stared at her reflection in the window, noting her puffy eyes and red streaked cheeks. Greg looked at the floor like he was observing a bug to see what it would do in its last minute of life.  
  
"I-I don't know what to say," Greg said.  
  
"I'm sorry. Nick told me that you should know before it got too far. And since your Warrick's friend and all.it seemed like you deserved to know." She swished her drink around in the cup.  
  
"I guess it's good. But it's awkward now." Greg finally looked up.  
  
Norah didn't. "I don't want to drive you away more, but although I regret the whole pregnancy thing I don't regret being with him. He became one of my best friends."  
  
Greg nodded. She finally looked up only look at the ceiling. She couldn't face him.  
  
"Well, I guess everyone makes mistakes," he said. He didn't want to lose her either. He had a feeling about her. It was one of those weird and corny feelings you get when you know this person will be true to you. They're your soul mate. And it wasn't like they didn't know each other at all. Three quarters of their date the night before was talking. Their families, high school years, and even a conversation about green Jell-O. "And living with them is hard enough," he stated after a moment's pause that he took to think. "And you shouldn't regret anything you do," he said matter-of- factly.  
  
She half-smiled at him and then started to chew her lip again. "Let's not keep anymore secrets from each other, okay?" She looked him in the eyes to make him see she was sincere.  
  
He gave a genuine smile and nodded. "It's a deal." Now HE started to bite his lip, "I have something to confess, too."  
  
Norah's heart sank into her stomach.  
  
"I wasn't really born in Norway-although I am Norwegian. You just seemed more traveled and I wanted to impress you."  
  
Norah let out a small giggle.  
  
Greg smiled.  
  
Norah felt like she could actually move her shoulders. The burden was gone.  
  
Suddenly she heard her name being called out. She turned to find Lydia coming toward her, a Coke in her hand. "Norah!" She smiled.  
  
"Hi, Lydia." She smiled back and hoped her eyes looked a bit better. The last thing she needed was to be asked if she was all right.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Okay." She half-smiled.  
  
"Good! What brings you to Starbucks tonight?" She said looking around the coffeehouse.  
  
Norah looked at Greg. "We just came for some coffee. We came from a movie," She lied.  
  
"Oh, I was wondering why your eyes were all red. Must have been a chick flick," Lydia nudged Greg who let out a laugh.  
  
Norah wondered if Lydia was ever sad. Although she had only known her for a while she could tell she was one of those optimistic, happy-go-lucky, "give me a hug" kind of people.  
  
"What's with the Coke? They have coffee...I'll buy you some if you want," she said reaching for her purse.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well I only come here on Sundays...their cookies are half price," she held up a fancy cookie you would only see at a coffee shop or maybe while eating British royalty. The foil of Chips Ahoy and Oreo.  
  
Greg cleared his throat as a hint. As if to say, 'Introduce me already!'  
  
"Oh yeah.this is Greg," she left it at that. She wasn't sure what they were and didn't want to say 'boyfriend' and have him blow up in her face saying this whole Warrick and her thing was too weird for him and they were officially not seeing each other. Plus they'd only had one real date. But she didn't want to say 'friend,' either, and offend him since they were more or less together up until they'd walked into Starbucks. "This is Lydia."  
  
Lydia smiled. "I'm a waitress at Chips," she told him referring to the casino both worked at now.  
  
Norah felt like Lydia was invading her space. She wanted to scream 'stop flirting with my man.' But kept her mouth shut instead, figuring Lydia was just one of those people that is just naturally nice and it only SEEMS like they're flirting. And that she herself was probably just one of those people who is jealous and territorial. She frowned to herself.  
  
Lydia was listing off the reasons why she didn't drink coffee when Norah snapped out of her daze. Lydia was the only person Norah knew who could talk as much as she could.  
  
Greg noticed that too. His brain took the next exit on the highway of Lydia's Anti-coffee Spree. He thought about who would win a talk-a-thon between Norah and Lydia. He smiled.  
  
Lydia noticed the hazy look in his eyes but didn't stop talking.  
  
Norah shook her head after looking at her watch. "I'll be back in a little while...I should call Nick," she told nobody in particular. Lydia was to busy explaining #64 of her list, which was something about how caffeine is bad for you. And Greg just was off in another world. Norah shrugged and headed outside.  
  
She dialed his number and counted the rings. 'One.Two...Three.'  
  
Nick answered on cue. "Hello?"  
  
"I told him." She blinked, hoping he wasn't mad at her too much.  
  
"I'm sorry I put this on you," he told her.  
  
"You didn't. It was my mistake and I have to live with it. I can't exactly keep it from him."  
  
"He did he take it?" Nick asked.  
  
"Fine." She said simply. "I'll be home in a while."  
  
"Okay. Bye, Nor."  
  
"Bye." Norah said hanging up her cell phone and walking back inside.  
  
"And my final reason-number 138-is because it just tastes gross," Lydia nodded.  
  
Greg had basically fallen asleep with his eyes open. He just stared at the table, a faint buzz sounding like a snore coming from him. Norah could have sworn he was drooling. She laughed. "We have to go Lydia. I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh, that's okay," she smiled. "See you at work," she said walking away.  
  
Norah shook Greg. "Wake up," she giggled.  
  
Greg rubbed his eyes, "What just happened here?"  
  
She shook her head and laughed. "Ready to go?"  
  
He nodded and started to walk out of Starbucks followed by Norah. "Man, can she talk...how is she a waitress? People want their drinks before they become room temperature, you know."  
  
She hit Eric in the stomach gently. "You are so mean! She's so nice."  
  
"You're just saying that because you didn't have to listen to her," referring to the time she left to call Nick.  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She wondered if it was legal to change emotions so quickly. She probably should have felt bad for Greg who had to hear the depressing story of hers, maybe mad at Nick for embarrassing her in front of everyone in Greg's apartment building, maybe even pissed at herself. But instead she was happy, joking around with a great guy who didn't resent her for things she screwed up in the past, a rarity in this world. 


	6. Hidden Side

Chapter Six: Hidden Side  
  
Nick would barely talk to her in the two weeks following. He swore it was because it was because he was sick-he must have caught Greg's turkey pox.  
  
After about a week of tips and her $9 an hour paycheck she bought an apartment-one close enough to walk to Greg's, but far enough away for Nick to stop complaining about her always being there-and started saving for the car she had her eye on. A used but very nice Jetta, which was about the only thing she could afford. She didn't mind though, what was the difference if she had a new one or a crappy one as long as it worked?  
  
The first day she moved in she bought some paint and made them stay and paint her room a nice shade of light purple. Nick scrunched his face at the color, "That's such a girly color."  
  
She looked at him and laughed, "Last time I checked I was a girl." She rolled her eyes.  
  
They had a bit too much fun with the paint and after a half-hour they were covered more than the walls. Nick again started to complain, "Don't tell me I have to go outside looking like this."  
  
Almost as if it were scripted Lydia walked into the apartment and shouted Norah's name. She walked into the bedroom where they were. She was wearing overalls and a tank top. She started laughing at the lavender-colored guys. "Sorry, I'm late, but it seems like you need the help," she said, looking at the walls, which where only about 20% painted and laughed.  
  
"This is Lydia, everyone," Norah announced. "We work together at the casino. And this is my Uncle Nick, Warrick, and you know Greg," she pointed at each guy respectively.  
  
The guys said, "Hi," and Lydia was hysterical. She couldn't even choke out a salutation. Norah was also laughing, wishing she had a camera. The guys, however, didn't find it funny. All three stood there glaring at the two girls with their paint-covered arms folded over their chests. This just cracked the two up more.  
  
"Okay, okay. Sorry." Norah stopped laughing first.  
  
The five of them started to paint again, Nick and Lydia talking to each other more than anyone else. Norah was busy painting and humming some song, Greg was standing behind Warrick spreading more paint in his hair, Warrick hitting Greg and telling him to stop.  
  
Warrick nudged Norah, "Look at them."  
  
Greg looked over, too. "Nick and Lydia sitting in a tree," he whispered.  
  
Warrick rolled his eyes.  
  
"They're just talking.jeez." Norah reasoned and turned back to the wall.  
  
Greg and Warrick shrugged it off and they also brought their attentions back to what they had been doing before.  
  
When they were finally done they stood in the middle of the room making sure there weren't any missed spots or air bubbles. They smiled at their work and went out into the living room to let it dry.  
  
"Thanks for the help, guys." Norah said afterward. They all left and the guys promised they'd meet back in two days when the paint was dry to bring in Norah's furniture.  
  
-------  
  
The third day of owning her own house Warrick, Nick, and Greg, as promised, came in and helped carry the new furniture she bought into her house-a bed and an old nightstand Warrick had kept from his grandmother. It was made from a light-colored wood. It had a drawer and had a rose carved in it. Norah thought it was pretty and thanked Warrick profusely. He was only too happy to help, though; it was only in his house to collect dust.  
  
Greg looked at the two things that were sitting in the hall outside her apartment. "This is it?"  
  
She nodded. She couldn't afford much after buying the apartment but promised herself she'd buy herself a couch in two weeks.  
  
After everything was moved in they all rested a bit in Norah's room. Norah leaned against the headboard looking at Warrick, who sat on the edge of her bed, she could have swore she could see traces of purple still in his hair. Nick sat on opposite side of the bed as Warrick, Greg stood at the end of the bed.  
  
"It's.roomy," Greg said looking around the room.  
  
Norah shrugged. "I can get more."  
  
Greg opened the closet door. Norah watched him, "Oh crap! I need to buy hangers."  
  
"I'll give you some," Nick offered.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She smiled and thanked him. She was excited about living on her own, even though she had in Hollywood it was going to be different in Vegas. She stood up on her bed and jumped off.  
  
The apartment had a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room in addition to the bedroom. The kitchen didn't have room for a table but there was an island she assumed was used as something of a breakfast nook by the former owners. She made a note of buying stools for it, even though she didn't plan on eating there. She assumed she would eat on her couch like she did at her old apartment, which didn't have a table and was quite empty also.  
  
She walked through the house and mentally made a list of things she wanted to buy for the apartment.  
  
Warrick got up and told her he was going to head out because he had to work the next shift, which started in about an hour, and he still wanted to get home and take a shower. He gave Nick a look and Nick decided he needed to leave too. Norah shook her head and smiled, finally noticing the conspiracy.  
  
"Don't you have to go, too?" She asked smiling.  
  
"I took the night off.I thought I'd throw you a housewarming party," Greg smirked.  
  
"Oh really?" She asked while he kissed her neck. "Well the bed has to get broken in sometime."  
  
He let out something of a small grunt as he moved up her neck with his lips and took off her purple spaghetti strap tank top. She took off his gray T- shirt and kissed his chest. She pulled him on top of her onto the bed, which was naked except for a blue fleece blanket Norah brought from California. She unbuttoned his jeans and slid them off his body and he started to do the same to hers when they heard a knock on the door. Norah opened her eyes, "No one's home!"  
  
"I'll get it," Greg told her. She smiled and closed her eyes again, not bothering to move anymore than she had to, she was too tired.  
  
The men said they'd help but by the time the bed got halfway in they had started to argue about who was cuter. Norah got sick of hearing them after 5 minutes so she rolled her eyes, grit her teeth and started to push the bed all the way into the room. When they were done she had already brought in the nightstand too.  
  
Greg got up and walked over the hardwood floor to the door. He opened it a crack to see who it was. "Oh, hi Lydia." He avoided stepping too far into the range of view crack the door made.  
  
Lydia noticed his bare chest, "Oh man! I am so sorry!" She said slapping her forehead. "I'm so sorry for interrupting you. I always do this." She then stopped. "Whoa! Whoa! Nick isn't in there is he? Because he told me to meet him here and." Her face twisted with disgust.  
  
Greg shook his head, "No.he's not here."  
  
"Oh..." She frowned. "Leave it to a guy I really like to blow me off," She forced a smile.  
  
Greg sighed. He felt bad for her. "Do you want to come in? You'll just have to wait a second," he told her looking down at his boxers, the only thing that he had on.  
  
She smiled graciously. "Thanks, I appreciate this."  
  
"Don't mention it," Greg said closing the door and walking back into Norah's bedroom. "It's Lydia."  
  
"Why is she here?" Norah asked.  
  
"Apparently, Nick told her to meet him here," Greg filled her in.  
  
She groaned as she sat up and proceeded to put on her clothes as fast as they had been peeled off. "Talk about ruining the mood," she mumbled. She shut the door on Greg who was still getting dressed when she was finished. She walked the same path as Greg had just walked only a moment ago. She opened the door to reveal Lydia who was standing there talking to Nick, who was enthusiastically listening and laughing. She let out another groan.  
  
"Oh, sorry about that, Nor, I forgot to tell you Lydia and I were going out for dinner and I thought it would be easier going from here," He smiled like it wasn't a big deal.  
  
"I thought you had to work," she said raising her eyebrows at him.  
  
"Greg made us make up excuses so.you know," he said raising his just as she did.  
  
Norah's eyes narrowed and then shut all the way. "Well it's not gonna happen now.you know." She said almost shouting.  
  
Lydia frowned, "I'm really sorry, Norah."  
  
"It's not your fault," she said after gathering herself. She started to close the door when Nick spoke up.  
  
"Why don't you and Greg come with us," he suggested.  
  
Norah looked back at her bedroom door. "I'll ask Greg. Come in." She started to mumble again as she walked down the hall to her room, "Not like we're going to be doing anything now anyway." She opened her door and looked back at Lydia and Nick who were now in her living room. "Do you want to go to dinner with them?" She asked unenthusiastically.  
  
"I guess...If you want," a full-dressed Greg said as he stood up.  
  
She shrugged. "Might as well," she said looking him up and down. "Your shirt's on inside out." She smiled.  
  
His face reddened a bit as he took it off and turned it right side out. "Thanks," he said with his head in his shirt as he pulled it on again.  
  
-------  
  
"It's going to be about an hour away, sir." The waitress told Nick. He looked over at Norah and Lydia who were sitting on either side of Greg on a cushioned bench in the waiting area of the restaurant. They were talking back and forth over a slouching Greg, who looked rather annoyed. He probably would have joined in on the conversation if it weren't for the fact that they were talking about high-heels at the moment. Nick walked over to the trio and sat next to Lydia. "Another hour." He frowned. "Why don't we go do something and come back? Maybe get some coffee," he suggested not knowing what he'd just done.  
  
Greg covered his ears, "Noooooo!"  
  
Nick looked at him in confusion as Lydia started to explain to Nick why she didn't like coffee. Norah started to laugh uncontrollably.  
  
Surprisingly, Nick listened unlike Greg at Starbucks. But, Nick had a lot of experience with talkative people, and his telephone bills can prove that. At least 31 calls a month from France when Norah was in college.  
  
Norah yawned after number 51 of Lydia's list. She laid her head on Greg's shoulder and before long she had fallen asleep.  
  
Nick and Lydia-Lydia mostly-kept talking Greg was more or less making a bald spot on Norah's heads. He had rubbed it for a good ten minutes after she fell asleep until he had really started to regret coming.  
  
After just about forever, a waitress came over to the four of them. Greg woke Norah up as the waitress tapped Nick on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Your table's ready. Sorry about the wait." She smiled at Nick adding a twist of a lock of the hair.  
  
Lydia picked up some vibes from the potential-model she didn't like. She wanted to show her not to move in on her territory. "Great!" She gave her a plastic smile and grabbed Nick by the collar of his shirt and kissed him square on the mouth.  
  
When she pulled away the waitress turned away with a huff and a flip of her light brown hair.  
  
Nick blinked and took a couple of deep breaths with a grin on his face.  
  
Norah was hiding a giggle in Greg's shoulder as Greg himself tried to hide his smile from the jealous girl and surprised man to his right. Norah took his hand and pulled him after the waitress to their table. Lydia followed only a few seconds behind. Nick finally got himself together and walked over to the already seated trio. He still had the smile on his face.  
  
Lydia tucked a strand of blonde, shoulder-length hair behind her ear and hid a smile behind a mauve menu.  
  
Another waitress came over, she smiled and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Erika and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with some drinks?"  
  
Greg ordered a Sprite, Norah and Lydia Diet Cokes, and Nick ordered a regular Coke. The waitress nodded and left the four alone.  
  
They got into a conversation about how short her skirt was when Nick's pager went off, "It's Sara."  
  
Lydia looked at Greg and Norah for answers as Nick left to find a pay phone.  
  
"It's a lady Nick works with," Norah told her. "Don't worry, it' nothing I'm sure. Just something about their case."  
  
"Case?"  
  
"Yeah, they work at the crime lab," Norah reminded Lydia.  
  
"Oh yeah," she smiled.  
  
Nick stood against the wall next to the pay phone. He watched the other three talk through some green planets the restaurant had on the divider which rested between the waiting area and the dining area. "Sara, I'm busy."  
  
"Let me guess, you're with Norah."  
  
"No," he lied. "Look, not everyone is dedicated to work as you, they actually have lives!"  
  
She glared at what she was hearing. "Why the hell are you getting paid? You never work!" Sara shouted. Nick held the phone a half-a-foot away from his face until she was finished. "Do you damn job!"  
  
"Fine, met me at the park in five. We're going to the locker room," Nick gave in. "Good-bye." He slammed the phone onto it's base, which made everyone in the waiting area look at him. He walked back to the table.  
  
Norah and Greg could tell it was bad.  
  
"I have to go. I'm sorry guys," he said mostly to Lydia.  
  
Lydia said good-bye as Greg and Norah watched Nick walk out with his head hung.  
  
The waitress brought the drinks and the three asked for their bill. Greg told them he's pick up the tab.  
  
Norah stopped dead in her tracks while they walked out of the building. "How are we getting home?"  
  
Lydia groaned. Greg frowned too.  
  
-------  
  
"Thanks Warrick," Greg said while getting into the Tahoe, which already held the two girls he had come with and Catherine.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let Grissom fine out," Warrick warned.  
  
The abandoned, but hopeful, trio had been waiting for an hour until they figured out Nick wasn't coming back for them.  
  
Warrick proceeded to take each one home, starting with Lydia and ending with Norah.  
  
As Norah ran though the rain to get to her apartment Catherine shook her head. "You need to learn how to say no."  
  
"I know," Warrick said watching Norah through the windshield as she smiled and waved. Could he still have feelings for Norah? He shook the idea out of his head and left his emotions behind as he drove back to the lab.  
  
-------  
  
After Sara gave Nick about a thousand dirty looks down the hall as he tried to strike up a conversation, they proceeded into the locker room. Sara showed the coach the warrant and he pointed out Jerry Donahue's locker.  
  
After looking under about a million different mismatched sweaty socks and three different baseball jerseys they found Jerry's shoes. "Score," Nick smiled.  
  
"Take those back to the lab and check them with the ones we found on the diamond," she ordered Nick.  
  
Nick nodded. "Did our victim die from the broken ribs?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Nick nodded again and left Sara in the locker room by herself.  
  
Sara wondered if he was really going to do what she told him to do. She became infuriated. She was sick of Nick not doing what he was supposed to. This just wasn't like him. He's usually hard working. She searched the locker even farther. She found everything from wrappers from hamburger joints to marijuana joints. Nothing very useful to the case though. She sighed and left to meet Nick back at the lab.  
  
-------  
  
Norah sat in the dark and re-evaluated her life. That's all she could do. She didn't even have a lamp in her apartment. She listened to the rain knock at her window. She probably would have called Nick or Greg or Lydia or Warrick except she didn't have a phone and her cell had been turned off because of the whole move. She made a note of getting a new one-with a better server.  
  
She had a half-hour till she had to be at work. She argued with herself on whether or not to go. She felt like, for lake of better words, crap.  
  
After about ten minutes of an inner-battle she decided to get up. She quickly changed from her flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt to her work uniform-a white top and jeans. She loved how casual the casino was. She picked up her jacket from on top of one of her suitcases and slipped it on. She walked toward the door of her bedroom and picked up her blue nametag with the words "CHIPS" and "NORAH" scrolled across it. She slipped it in her pocket and walked out the front door.  
  
She loved the rain. She loved how it made the street shine and made the lights of the city reflect off of buildings. It made her think of spring and new life and flowers. She smiled at how corny it sounded. She hung a left on the sidewalk and opened the door of the casino for a man and followed him in.  
  
She didn't see Lydia as she walked in and toward the back room. She punched in and grabbed the blue apron all the cocktail waitresses were required to wear. She poked the pin of the nametag through the apron and out again. She latched it and went to work. After ten minutes she noticed that she hadn't seen Lydia at all. She hoped she was okay.  
  
After another ten minutes she watched Lydia walk into the casino. She looked happy and healthy so she said hi and went about her work.  
  
Five minutes past and she had to get a drink for table 15 from the bar, she saw Lydia already there getting a rum and Coke from the new bartender, Eric. He was about 30 with the attention span of a fly. He would go from making a drink for Christine to making a drink for Alexis and never finish Christine's order. Everyone complained about him but the manager-Mr. Andrews-won't give up on him.  
  
Norah was leaning against the bar daydreaming when Lydia started shouting at Eric. Norah had no clue what the yelling was about, Lydia actually having a different emotion other than happy and really happy was what distracted Norah from finding out.  
  
When Lydia was finished she gave a smile to Norah. Norah laughed and looked at Eric who she thought might cry. Norah was relieved to see Lydia was normal and not some alien from Planet Glad. 


	7. Remember Roots

Chapter Seven: Remembering Roots  
  
It started innocently. A dinner to say sorry. Sounds innocent, right?  
  
Nick and Lydia had a nice time at the restaurant, she ordered chicken and he had a steak.  
  
It really was innocent, until he asked her over to his house. "Just for a drink, it's still early," Nick urged.  
  
How could she resist? Those beautiful brown eyes, that firm body and that boyish charm. It made her weak in the knees. "Sure," Lydia smiled and grabbed her black pea coat and folded it over her arm. She followed Nick out, the humid air flooding inside and hitting them hard. She wondered why she brought her coat with her as she climbed into his car.  
  
She talked the whole way to his house. He just smiled and listened. Laughing occasionally.  
  
When they got inside she sat on his couch while he poured two glasses of wine. She looked around. It looked like the house of a scientist who couldn't forget his past. Books about forensics everywhere. The only thing there was more of was pictures of what she assumed to be his family. She picked up one that was sitting on the end table next to her. It was of a younger Nick and what appeared to be Norah as a kid with another little girl in the picture.  
  
Nick looked relatively the same, but Norah looked very different. She looked to be about ten-years-old. She saw no traces of the physical features of which Norah was practically famous for at the casino but was cute just the same. Her chest was flat and the blue dress she wore clung tightly to her tiny body until it got to the middle of her stomach and fluffed out into a puffy skirt with a bow separating the upper and lower parts of the dress. Her hair was long and black and she had bangs that went just below her eyebrows. She gave a big gapped-tooth smile. The thing that gave her away was her green eyes. They were just as bright as currently.  
  
Nick noticed the picture in her hand and smiled, "It's from her eleventh birthday. She was so excited that I had come home from college. I missed her birthday the year before." He smiled at the memory. "That's her sister."  
  
"She has a sister?"  
  
"Well, step-sister."  
  
"Oh?" She was genuinely interested.  
  
"Yeah. Bethany. She was five years younger than Norah. Her mom had gotten married. Norah hated the guy. His name was Gene." He paused to take a sip of his wine. "They had two kids. Their other daughter's name is Mandy. She's 16. All three had the best time as kids. Norah loved Bethany so much."  
  
"Loved?"  
  
He nodded, looking down. "She died when she only eight. And after that Gene split and left her mom with Mandy. Believe me, she never trusted anyone ever again."  
  
"How'd Bethany die?" Lydia's eyes full of sympathy.  
  
"Leukemia." Nick said. "Everything changed after that. Norah got depressed and mad and went through counseling. Mandy felt totally left out by Norah. She was thirteen, Mandy was only six and she didn't understand it until years after. Mandy and Norah aren't close now. They don't hate each other but they barely talk anymore."  
  
Lydia nodded. "What about Norah's real dad?"'  
  
"She never knew him. Never met him." He left it simply at that.  
  
They talked and drank more and eventually both ended up with quite a buzz. Nick had a hard time talking; his speech a bit slurred. Lydia felt like she was going to fall asleep. That was until he almost jumped on top of her. Smothering her with kisses. She kissed back. She was fine with it. She actually enjoyed it until he reached for the top of her skirt to unbutton and slide it off. She lifted her legs trying to get him to stop. "Please don't." She wondered if this was this seemingly innocent guy's original intent on taking her home.  
  
He pulled off her. "What is it?"  
  
"This isn't right."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't want to have sex."  
  
He wondered what was wrong. Did his breath stink?  
  
"I'm a virgin," she told him without a trace of shame in her voice.  
  
"That's okay. I'll go slow, I promise." He pulled her closer to kiss her again.  
  
"I think you're missing the point."  
  
He squinted at her bit.  
  
"I'm also very Christian if it helps explain any." She held her head high.  
  
"And.?"  
  
She wondered how bluntly she needed to say it. She didn't want to offend him. "I believe it's a sin to have pre-material sex."  
  
His head started to ache. "Fine. I'm sorry."  
  
They sat in silence for a bit.  
  
"I better go." Lydia rose and quickly left out the front door. She walked the mile home in her heels.  
  
-------  
  
The next day at work Lydia couldn't talk to Norah without her eyes filling with tears. She was so sensitive and she felt so bad for her. Lydia never lost someone all that close to her. Not a sister.  
  
Finally at the end of the day Norah confronted Lydia. "What am I doing? Why are you ignoring me?"  
  
Lydia's tears brimmed over the edge of her eyelid.  
  
Norah wondered if she'd been too harsh. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be mean, I just want to know why you haven't talk to me all day."  
  
"Nick told me."  
  
Norah's eyes squinted. "Huh?"  
  
"About your sister."  
  
"He did?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Why?" Norah asked her. She really didn't want this to happen. She spent her whole life trying not to let her secrets out. She didn't like reliving the past. But here Nick was blabbing them all over.  
  
"I saw a picture of her." Lydia wiped her eyes on a napkin from the bar with 'CHIPS' printed in blue lettering across it.  
  
Norah nodded and headed outside and home. Is it possible to lose someone who you love more than the world? Someone who lives five minutes away walking. Someone who you thought you could trust.  
  
-------  
  
Months past, New Year's, Valentine's day, St. Patrick's day, Easter. Norah didn't see anyone but Greg and Lydia in this time.  
  
Norah settled in. In addition to getting her red Jetta, she got everything on her mental list of things to buy for her apartment plus silverware and a stock of toilet paper that should last another 4 months. She was happy with her Vegas apartment, but it felt empty. She felt empty.  
  
She missed Nick. She loved being around Greg but it wasn't like Nick. She wished she didn't have to choose, but felt she had to.  
  
She woke up one May morning and decided she was going to have a bonding day with Nick. As cheesy as it sounded she thought it might actually work. He agreed to it and they met at a park Nick knew of.  
  
Even though they lived so close together both thought they might lose each other. Nick was more concerned because he was the only family she had that she actually talked to. His major goal for the day was to convince her to call her mom or at least her grandmother.  
  
They walked round in the park for a bit. They talked about what they had been doing. Nick talked about the seemingly never-ending case he was working on and about how it was like a magnet to the press with the famous baseball player's career on the line. She talked about working at the casino and how she was thinking about going back to college to become a teacher.  
  
The bonding day was actually a success. At the end of the day they decided they'd keep in better touch. And go out for some meal at some restaurant at least once a week. And in the end Nick had achieved his goal. She promised to call home when she got back to her apartment.  
  
Then the tragedy came. Norah asked how things were going with Lydia.  
  
Nick winced at the vivid memories that swiftly flooded his head. They hadn't seen each other since that grim night so long ago. He wondered if Norah had kept in much touch with Lydia herself, since she obviously didn't know what happened. "It's not going well," he looked down.  
  
"Do you want me to talk to her?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"I'm going to talk to her," she told him firmly.  
  
"Do what you want. It won't help." He almost blushed with the embarrassment of the remembrance of his drunkenness.  
  
She shrugged and glanced down at her watch. "I have to get to work," she told him.  
  
He nodded. "See you Thursday for lunch then?"  
  
"You bet," she said, walking away. She was kind of happy with the day. She got into her car and drove home. She kept her promise to her favorite uncle and called Texas.  
  
"Hello?" A female voice answered.  
  
"Hi. Mandy?" 


	8. I'll be Home

Chapter Eight: I'll Be Home  
  
"You can't go," his eyes begged.  
  
"I have to. I was accepted, aren't you happy for me?" Norah asked Greg.  
  
"Yes, but I don't want you to go," Greg answered honestly.  
  
She shook her head. "I can't work in Vegas my whole life with no career or anything."  
  
"I have an idea," his eyes lit up.  
  
Norah acted interested, although she had her heart set on going to college in New York and nothing was going to change it. Not even her boyfriend.  
  
"You could go to college here for chemistry. And I could get Grissom to give you a job. I mean, you minored in it so-"  
  
She shook her head and cut him off. "I hate science." She saw how his eyes changed a bit in emotion from sadness to offence. "It's just not what I love to do."  
  
"I can't live without you by my side. I need you."  
  
She sighed and thought, 'where have I heard that before.' "I'm not going to be gone forever. It's just four years and I'll be back in Vegas." She smiled. "With you."  
  
He shook his head. "You don't understand."  
  
"Believe me, I do. I'll miss you just as much, but I need to worry about myself and my career too." She was definitely having some second thoughts about going to New York. This sounded too much like her situation with Owen.  
  
"Aren't their any schools you can go to here?" He asked.  
  
"Greg, how am I going to support myself if I don't have a job?" She asked him, ignoring his question.  
  
"You do have a job," he said.  
  
She rolled her eyes, although they were filling with tears. "I'm not making enough there. I want a career."  
  
"You could live with me, then we'll split everything and-"  
  
"I'm going." She told him firmly. She didn't want to hurt his feelings but she didn't want to be stuck working as a cocktail waitress her whole life.  
  
He nodded and swallowed hard. "So nothing can change you mind?"  
  
"Sorry." She said kissing the tip of his nose. She got up off her blue couch and walking to the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"  
  
He shook his head. "I better get going." He left the apartment with a slight slam of the door.  
  
She watched him through her kitchen window. She watched him walk to his car and pull away. She had another three months until she actually started college. She was excited and ready to go back. She was young, why shouldn't she have the chance to be something?  
  
She was going back to be an elementary school teacher. She loved kids and was so excited that she was actually going to work with them. She had babysat Lindsey over ten times since she'd been in Las Vegas. They had a good relationship. Catherine would tell Norah about how Lindsey would talk about her almost nonstop.  
  
But on the other hand Greg was practically her life now. They'd gotten so close and knew each other better than they knew themselves.  
  
She stopped the sympathy from spreading in her brain and called Nick instead. She figured he'd be able to help more than her fighting with herself would. She dialed his number and got his voicemail. "Hey, this is Norah. Give me a call. Bye."  
  
Little did she know a conversation much like her own was going on at Nick's place. Not three days after Norah had helped Lydia and Nick patch everything up, Lydia was also accepted to a college in Washington state and she was leaving in a mere week for orientation and all that other good stuff.  
  
"I'll really miss you."  
  
"I'll miss you too," Lydia told Nick. She picked at her Chinese food that was sitting on a plate in front of her. She had lost her appetite. She wasn't too enthusiastic about leaving Nick, although she was simply delighted with the idea of leaving Vegas. She had barely ever traveled out of Nevada, she saw college as a challenge as well as an adventure.  
  
-------  
  
The days came and went so quickly when it was finally the day before Lydia would leave. It was a Friday and Lydia promised Nick she would spend the whole day with him before leaving. The night was almost done, she had one thing left she wanted to do.  
  
They were making out on Nick's couch when Lydia whispered in Nick's ear. "I'm ready."  
  
He looked at her oddly. "What?"  
  
She raised her eyebrows slightly. "I'm throwing all my morals out the window." She smiled. She was really uneasy with this idea but figured it would be the perfect end to the perfect day with the perfect guy.  
  
He shook his head. "I can't let you do this. I don't want you to go against your religion for me."  
  
She looked him in the eyes. "I want to." She kissed him passionately.  
  
He pulled her closer to him and gently took her clothes off, as if she were some paper doll he was afraid he might rip.  
  
In the end it was a perfect night. She was afraid to wake up in the morning because she didn't want to leave to go all the way to Washington.  
  
-------  
  
Three weeks had passed since Lydia let and no one, no matter what they did, could get Nick out of his funk. Sara became more pissed off at him, if that was possible, for loosing the shoe in a box in the evidence room weeks ago. And for the record, he hadn't done what she asked.  
  
"We're not going to solve this case if we don't find that shoe." Sara said rummaging through the boxes they had filled with evidence from their case.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sara." Nick said before she started mumbling to the point where no one could understand. He was pushing the stuff in the box around to look occupied, even though he was too busy worrying about Lydia that he wasn't really working. Something caught his eye. "I found it." He pulled Jerry Donahue's oversize shoe out of the receptacle.  
  
Sara grabbed it from him and rushed out of the room to God knows where. Nick followed shuffling down the hall like an old, faithful beagle that wouldn't leave his master for fear of losing her. She went to the layout room where she made a copy of the bottom of the shoe and matched it to the cast from the baseball field. She smiled. "Finally."  
  
At that moment she had remembered she had called Jerry in for questioning and she was five minutes late. She left Nick in the layout room alone. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed Lydia's number at the opportunity.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Lydia?"  
  
"Nick?" An excited Lydia asked.  
  
"What's going on?" Nick's voice stayed solemn.  
  
"Nothing really."  
  
"Lydia?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Please come back. I can't live without you. I can't." Nick swallowed hard.  
  
She smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows, although only the light-up table was present with him to witness it.  
  
"I hate it here." She sighed. "And."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"And?" Nick asked anxiously.  
  
"I'm pregnant." She bit her lip.  
  
Nick's heart stopped. "What?"  
  
She didn't answer for about two minutes. "I don't want to abort the baby and you are the father." she trailed of.  
  
"Of course I will care for him or her," Nick wasn't sure how to react. But, he figured he had to face the consequences.  
  
She smiled. "I'll be home soon." She hung up.  
  
He hung up also. He stared at the floor in disbelief. How could this have happened? He remembered the condom, didn't he? He stopped. The condom. He felt like an idiot and felt bad for Lydia but most of all he felt sick.  
  
Grissom stopped in the doorway of the room. "Are you okay, Nick?"  
  
He shook his head, his face pale.  
  
Grissom called down the hall for help and rushed over to Nick. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm going to be a father." He collapsed onto the floor with a questioning Grissom standing over him. 


	9. One Last Goodbye

Chapter Nine:  
One Last Good-bye  
  
Lydia had been home for three months. She planned on moving into Nick's house.  
  
He disagreed. "Let's buy a new house. We'll need more room with the baby."  
  
"The baby won't be here for another six months, and we don't have the money right now-I'm still going back to school," she reminded him. She got a full- scholarship from some organization to stay in state for college.  
  
She was an extremely good student in high school and she managed to beat out 20 other students, although she was nine years older than the youngest student. She ran around getting letters of recommendation from all her old teachers.  
  
When she heard she got accepted to the local college she jumped on the bed- until Nick started to express his concern for the baby. He carried her off the bed and told her it wasn't "very healthy for baby Abigail or Jonathon."  
  
She picked the girl name, he picked the boy name and they promised they would wait till the baby was born to find out the gender. Lydia was anxious to know, but didn't go against her promise to Nick. Which made him love her more.  
  
-------  
  
Norah lied in her bed, one day until she'd leave for New York. She thought about how much she'd miss Nevada. Nick and Lydia were planning to big Norah farewell and Catherine said Lindsey wanted to come to the airport as well, but she had to fine someone to bring her still.  
  
She remembered Greg and how she had barely talked to him in the past three months.  
  
She frowned and tried to stop herself from pondering anymore about it as she got up and went to the kitchen to get some water. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned on the faucet. She looked out the window and listened to the glass fill up.  
  
She squinted at what she saw in the parking lot. Could it be? She swore she saw Greg's car parked outside under her kitchen window. No one was in it, though. She shook her head as she turned off the faucet and walked into the living room and laid down on the couch. 'Aren't hallucinations signs you're going crazy?' She sat up and gulped down the water.  
  
On the other side of the door and indecisive Greg held his closed fist against the door and fought with himself as to whether or not he should say good-bye to Norah. He finally decided to do it. He knocked.  
  
Norah started to the door. "Coming." When she answered it she couldn't believe it. "Come in." She stepped aside allowing him some room to come in.  
  
He walked in and sat on her couch. "Hi."  
  
She smiled. "Hey."  
  
He smiled too, although he was tense.  
  
She sat next to him. "So, what's up?"  
  
"Um, well I guess I'm here to say good-bye. Have a great time at college," he spoke to the floor instead of her face.  
  
She gently turned his face toward hers. She saw his eyes were like over- flowing wells. She put her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss you." She knew she was, too.  
  
"I'm going to miss you, too." He slouched a bit to reach into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "It's a promise ring. I just want to promise you that I'll be here for you when you need someone to talk too." He handed her the ring. "Sorry it's kind of corny, but I wanted to give you something to remember me by."  
  
She smiled as she slid it on her finger. It was a thin gold band with a tiny blue stone in it. "No, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." She squeezed his neck a bit tighter.  
  
"Well, I guess that's it, Norah." He smiled. "See you in four years." He walked to the door.  
  
Norah followed him.  
  
"Don't fall in love in New York." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and took one more lung-full of sweet Norah-smelling air.  
  
"I can't. I've already fallen." She kissed his lips gently and turned to go inside. "Good-bye, Greg Sanders." She smiled through her tears. She closed the door.  
  
"Bye." He whispered to the door and headed out to his car.  
  
-------  
  
She had a hard time sleeping the night before.  
  
She was sitting in the backseat of Nick's car. He was driving, Lydia in the front seat next to him.  
  
She turned the ring on her finger as she watched Las Vegas pass her by. It was still dark; the sun hadn't risen yet.  
  
Nick parked the car and all three exited it at the same time. Norah carried her bags inside the airport, Lydia telling her about places in New York she'd only heard about. Nick thinking about nothing at all, just followed the girls.  
  
After going through the steps needed, they met Warrick and a sleepy Lindsey at the gate.  
  
Lindsey ran up to Norah and hugged her good-bye.  
  
"I'll miss you, Linds."  
  
"I'm going to miss you, too, Nory." Lindsey smiled. She took pride in her nicknames. If she liked you, you got an ending-in-y name. Nicky, Greggy, Warry, Lydy, Gilly, Sary. She had one for just about everyone at her mom's workplace.  
  
Norah smiled and set her back on the ground. She embraced Warrick as he kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"See ya, kid."  
  
"Bye, Warrick," she said, finally letting go of him. After she finished her good-byes she heard her flight being called. She was upset that Greg didn't come as she walked though the doors and to the gate, turning and waving to the four friendly faces in the airport.  
  
She walked to the airplane to find her seat. She was seated next to a man about 25-year-old, his complexion clear, his hair short and spiked. They talked a bit before it was time for take-off.  
  
Norah watched out the window as the plane turned toward the runway. She noticed four familiar figures in the window waving at the plane. She waved back and looked out at the other people she passed watching the plane leave.  
  
Something caught her eye. She saw a man with wild hair. She got a clear enough view to see him mouth, "Bye, Norah" and turn away from the tall windows of the airport.  
  
"Bye," she whispered one last time toward the circular window of the plane as she smiled.  
  
The plane took off as Norah leaned back in her seat, grinning. She watched the lights of the city get smaller and smaller until they eventually disappeared into the fluffy, light clouds.  
  
The End.  
  
Read the sequel: Return of the Enigma (Story ID: 1210293) Read the sibling: The Truth Behind the Paperdoll (Story ID: 1351071) 


End file.
